by Amaani Lyle
American Forces Press Service
5/1/2014 - WASHINGTON -- Air
Force Secretary Deborah Lee James outlined April 30 the service's
progress in leveraging the talent and capabilities of the Air National
Guard and the Air Force Reserve within the total force concept.
James, along with Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III, testified at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing.
A tiger team of three generals from each reserve component conducted a
comprehensive review of mission requirements, recommended ideas for
improving collaboration and sought avenues to balance total force
capabilities, James told the senators.
"We laid in force structure changes to take advantage of the Guard and
Reserve's strength," James said. "For example, in the area of
(intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance), we've increased reserve
components' presence in the MQ-1 (Predator) and (MQ-9 Reaper) fleets of
remotely piloted aircraft, so we're going from 17 percent to 24 percent
representation in that arena."
In the cyber arena, James said, three new Air Force Reserve units will
reflect an increase in that capability in fiscal year 2016.
Meanwhile, James said the Air Force will decrease its active component
end-strength by 17 percent while decreasing the Air Force Reserve and
Air National Guard end-strength by 3 percent and 0.4 percent,
respectively, by fiscal 2015.
"In the future, we hope to garner enough savings by moving capability
and capacity to the reserve component so that future end-strength cuts
may not be necessary," she said.
The secretary also reported better projection and budgeting of Guard and
Reserve man-day use, with a 70-percent increase in planned man-years
over the next two years.
James told the senators that Air Force leaders agree with 86 percent of
the suggestions put forth by the National Commission on the Structure of
the Air Force, established by Congress as part of the fiscal 2013
defense spending bill. However, she added, they differ with the
commission's recommendation that Air Force Reserve Command be
disestablished.
"We're all for integration, and of course, that is the basis of that
recommendation," James said. "But we feel ... in fiscal year 2015, we
don't have a good alternative way to manage and provide for ... 70,000
members of the Air Force Reserve, so we would disagree with that
proposition, at least for (fiscal 2015)."
James reported that the Total Force Continuum, another group of
generals, will lead the charge for myriad initiatives, one being
facilitating an Airman's ability to serve in the active force, the Air
National Guard and the Air Force Reserve in the course of a career.
To facilitate a new total force personnel and pay system in support of
the continuum of service, the secretary said, the Air Force has
integrated force support squadrons at Peterson Air Force Base, Colo.;
March Air Reserve Base, Calif.; and Pease Air National Guard Base, N.H.
"One unit is essentially serving all of the three different components
in the geographic area with respect to personnel systems," she
explained.
James noted an uptick in shared active and reserve-component squadrons,
or Air Force associations, from 102 to 124, a 22 percent increase in
recent years.
"It's a form of integration, and we're kicking it up a notch and doing more of these in the future," she said.
To retain talent across the total force, the secretary said, the Air
Force has reduced the active-duty service commitment payback in the
Palace Chase Service Commitment Waiver Program from three reserve years
for every year of active commitment down to one.
Palace Chase is the name of the Air Force program in which an
active-duty Airman transfers to the reserve component. The program also
expanded to include rated officers, James said.
"Bottom line there is we're making it easier and more attractive to people to enter the Guard and Reserve," she added.
James also reported seeking authority from the Defense Department to implement aviator retention pay to traditional reservists.
"As an aviator leaves active duty (for) the Guard and Reserve, I want to be able to (offer) that incentive pay," she said.
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