NCSAF visits Tinker units, community

  • Published
  • National Commission on the Structure of the Air Force
Even as the National Commission on the Structure of the Air Force received testimony and statements at a public hearing in Midwest City Tuesday afternoon as part of a congressionally mandated fact-finding and analysis mission, U.S. Senator James M. Inhofe (R-Okla.), exhorted the commissioners to examine the overall structure of the Air Force and to be forthcoming in their assessment of force effectiveness. Senator Inhofe, as ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, helped form the commission.

The public hearing at The Reed Center, along with the commissioners' visit to Tinker Air Force Base in the morning, are part of the commission's mission to comprehensively study the U.S. Air Force and its three components -- the active duty, Reserve and Air National Guard -- for an independent analysis that will determine if and how the Air Force's structure should be modified to best fill current and future mission requirements with available resources. The report and recommendations are due to the president and Congress on Feb. 1, 2014.

Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin addressed the commission, speaking on the importance of the Air National Guard for the state, saying the state appreciates the level of support it gets from the Guard every day and highlighted examples of critical support provided by the National Guard in times of disaster as well as the partnership with Oklahoma's military bases. Governor Fallin, recently sworn in as the chairman of the National Governors Association, also expressed her strong support for the historic agreement between the Council of Governors and the Department of Defense. She also highlighted the value of the establishment of Dual Status Commanders.

Senator Inhofe, thanking the members for their service, stressed the urgency and importance of the commission's work, and received assurance from the commissioners that they are closely and thoroughly following the legislative intent underpinning the commission's mandate.

The statute forming the commission sets out its work as follows: "The commission shall undertake a comprehensive study of the structure of the Air Force to determine whether, and how, the structure should be modified to best fulfill current and anticipated mission requirements for the Air Force in a manner consistent with available resources."

The commission's report must take into account six considerations as it comes up with recommendations for an Air Force structure:
· meets current and anticipated requirements of the combatant commands;
· achieves an appropriate balance between the regular and reserve components of the Air Force, taking advantage of the unique strengths and capabilities of each;
· ensures that the regular and reserve components of the Air Force have the capacity needed to support current and anticipated homeland defense and disaster assistance missions in the United States;
· provides for sufficient numbers of regular members of the Air Force to provide a base of trained personnel from which the personnel of the reserve components of the Air Force could be recruited;
· maintains a peacetime rotation force to support operational tempo goals of 1:2 for regular members of the Air Forces and 1:5 for members of the reserve components of the Air Force; and
· maximizes and appropriately balances affordability, efficiency, effectiveness, capability and readiness.

For more information on the commission and its mission, visit the website, http://afcommission .whs.mil. Send comments and inputs to Marcia Moore, designated federal officer, by mail at the National Commission on the Structure of the Air Force, 1950 Defense Pentagon, Room 3A874, Washington, DC 20301-1950, by email at dfoafstrucomm@osd.mil, by phone at 703-571-7057, or by fax at 703-692-5625.

NCSAF visits Tinker units, community

  • Published
  • National Commission on the Structure of the Air Force
Even as the National Commission on the Structure of the Air Force received testimony and statements at a public hearing in Midwest City Tuesday afternoon as part of a congressionally mandated fact-finding and analysis mission, U.S. Senator James M. Inhofe (R-Okla.), exhorted the commissioners to examine the overall structure of the Air Force and to be forthcoming in their assessment of force effectiveness. Senator Inhofe, as ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, helped form the commission.

The public hearing at The Reed Center, along with the commissioners' visit to Tinker Air Force Base in the morning, are part of the commission's mission to comprehensively study the U.S. Air Force and its three components -- the active duty, Reserve and Air National Guard -- for an independent analysis that will determine if and how the Air Force's structure should be modified to best fill current and future mission requirements with available resources. The report and recommendations are due to the president and Congress on Feb. 1, 2014.

Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin addressed the commission, speaking on the importance of the Air National Guard for the state, saying the state appreciates the level of support it gets from the Guard every day and highlighted examples of critical support provided by the National Guard in times of disaster as well as the partnership with Oklahoma's military bases. Governor Fallin, recently sworn in as the chairman of the National Governors Association, also expressed her strong support for the historic agreement between the Council of Governors and the Department of Defense. She also highlighted the value of the establishment of Dual Status Commanders.

Senator Inhofe, thanking the members for their service, stressed the urgency and importance of the commission's work, and received assurance from the commissioners that they are closely and thoroughly following the legislative intent underpinning the commission's mandate.

The statute forming the commission sets out its work as follows: "The commission shall undertake a comprehensive study of the structure of the Air Force to determine whether, and how, the structure should be modified to best fulfill current and anticipated mission requirements for the Air Force in a manner consistent with available resources."

The commission's report must take into account six considerations as it comes up with recommendations for an Air Force structure:
· meets current and anticipated requirements of the combatant commands;
· achieves an appropriate balance between the regular and reserve components of the Air Force, taking advantage of the unique strengths and capabilities of each;
· ensures that the regular and reserve components of the Air Force have the capacity needed to support current and anticipated homeland defense and disaster assistance missions in the United States;
· provides for sufficient numbers of regular members of the Air Force to provide a base of trained personnel from which the personnel of the reserve components of the Air Force could be recruited;
· maintains a peacetime rotation force to support operational tempo goals of 1:2 for regular members of the Air Forces and 1:5 for members of the reserve components of the Air Force; and
· maximizes and appropriately balances affordability, efficiency, effectiveness, capability and readiness.

For more information on the commission and its mission, visit the website, http://afcommission .whs.mil. Send comments and inputs to Marcia Moore, designated federal officer, by mail at the National Commission on the Structure of the Air Force, 1950 Defense Pentagon, Room 3A874, Washington, DC 20301-1950, by email at dfoafstrucomm@osd.mil, by phone at 703-571-7057, or by fax at 703-692-5625.