Gen. Mark Welsh, Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force, speaks during the Air Force Association breakfast in Arlington, Va., June 17, 2013. Welsh gave comments on where the Air Force is today and where it hopes to be in 2023 and that the Airmen serving today, can and will solve the issues of the Air Force. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Carlin Leslie)
by Master Sgt. Angelita Colón-Francia
Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs
6/19/2013 - ARLINGTON, Va. (AFNS) -- The Air Force's top officer reported on the growing strain sequestration has put on readiness, personnel and modernization to a group of civic and industry leaders attending the Air Force Association's monthly breakfast here, June 17.
Sequestration has hit the Air Force hard, said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III.
Like the rest of the Defense Department, the Air Force has seen severe reductions in funding, leading to concerns about critical mission factors including the readiness of pilots and aircraft that aren't flying today.
"We've got folks sitting in fighter squadrons looking out of windows at aircraft that they haven't touched since the first of April," Welsh said.
Currently, the Air Force has stood down 33 squadrons, 12 of which are combat-coded fighter and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance units. Another seven squadrons have been reduced to a basic mission capable rating.
Even before sequestration, there was a readiness crisis in the Air Force, Welsh said. The severe cutbacks required by the sequester will further downgrade force readiness beyond the current fiscal year if a budget agreement is not reached.
"We can't just all of a sudden accelerate training and catch up," he said. "It costs up to 2 1/2 times as much to retrain a squadron as it does to keep it trained."
Welsh emphasized the Air Force's efforts to continue to save where possible.
"We're looking for every option for where you can cut money -- every modernization/recapitalization program," Welsh said.
Regardless of reductions, the service cannot perform its air superiority mission with today's aging F-15 and F-16 fighters, and limited number of F-22s, the chief of staff said, making the new F-35 non-negotiable.
"When we truncated our F-22 buy, we ended up with a force that can't provide air superiority in more than one area at a time," Welsh said. "The F-35 is going to be part of the air superiority equation whether it was intended to be, originally, or not."
Welsh pointed out other countries will begin flying stealthy, highly-advanced fighters in the coming years, and if the U.S. doesn't have the aircraft to counter them in a high-end fight it will be in trouble.
There's nothing else that can do what the F-35 can, he said.
"Out there where people fight and die, for real, if a fourth-generation aircraft meets a fifth-generation aircraft, the fourth-generation aircraft may be more efficient, but it's also dead," Welsh said.
Comments
6/25/2013 1:24:06 PM ET And furloughing American civilians so we can give Germans working in the Commissary a substantial raise...
SNCO Ret, Scott
6/24/2013 9:17:48 AM ET It seems that being the best Air Force in the world for so long has caused a great deal of complacency towards our warfighting capabilities. The reason the USAF has had superior firepower over the years has been because of our constant striving of advancement in technology and research. The general public as well as congress it seems has a gross oversight to our enemies capabilities and technology. We KNOW we are the best in the world just watch any Transformers Movie and feel entitled to retain that status without trying. It's like an Olympic athelete winning a gold medal and then not training for the next 4 years because he was the best before...why not still
SSgt Lundgren, Deployed
6/20/2013 8:27:55 AM ET And we are providing F-16s to Egypt whos government leaders have openly stated they consider us an enemy... That will help readiness I'm sure...
CMSgt retired, FL
6/19/2013 11:56:17 PM ET Can't do anything about it it's what Congress wants. It's unfortunate but it's the sign of the times.
Chris, Somewhere
6/19/2013 9:18:17 PM ET Yet the IRS has 70 million for 'bonuses'. Something is seriously wrong with this country.
Chuck, Cedar Creek TX
6/19/2013 7:52:28 PM ET This is political and nothing else The sequester is only a 5 percent reduction in future spending increases. There are no actual cuts. The leadership of the DoD and the Air Force are perpetuating the B.S. being spewed from Capital Hill Enough is enough. DoD wastes so much money each year that they don't even notice the paltry 44 billion from the sequester.
Brian MSgt AF Retired, Rochester NH
6/19/2013 7:20:14 PM ET The DoD and AF in particular continue to weep and gnash their teeth over sequestration. Guess what Decades of wasted money on everything from 800 dollar Herman Miller chairs to airshows to fifth generation fighters have led to this. The AF wastes money just like the rest of the government and when you add them all up it is a huge mess. Oh yeah. Remember Iraq 6 trillion dollars. If I remember correctly that is about 60 percent of the sequester. Good job buddy.
EOD MSgt, CONUS
6/19/2013 5:58:09 PM ET This headline should read Air Force continues to ignore budget realities. Digs in heels.
Retired Realist, Baton Rouge LA
6/19/2013 3:23:11 PM ET While the might effectiveness readiness and morale of our fighting forces dwindle the tax payer is footing the 100m vacation for the president and his family. Gotta love our governments priorities.
MSgt Ret, Austin Texas
6/19/2013 1:51:07 PM ET My son Samuel was an F16 pilot with tours in Korea Iraq and Afghanistan. He now sits at a desk in Alabama doing a menial paperwork job. What a waste of resources. When he returns to the cockpit he will require expensive retraining. What kind of personnel policies cause such waste
Melvin J Kessler Major AF Retired, Havertown Pa.
6/19/2013 1:41:36 PM ET We've got folks sitting in fighter squadrons looking out of windows at aircraft that they haven't touched since the first of April Welsh said.We also have civilians that stand to lose thousands of dollars this year due to this mess. Many of us lower ranking GS civilians make less in one month than a NCO makes in two weeks. You can bet the DoD will see repeat furloughs next year unless the AF fails to meet mission. Senior leaders must be willing to accept failure to an extent.
