Retired Senior Air Force Leaders Write to the Hill

Just yesterday, several retired senior Air Force leaders attached their names to a letter to Congressman Forbes, commending him on his new initiative, "Strong Defense, Strong America."

The letter lays out the current environment in which our military men and women find themselves and the many challenges they are already facing.

"The men and women of the US military are balancing an exceedingly broad array of missions—everything from humanitarian relief efforts and challenges in cyberspace to traditional combat operations and nuclear deterrence."

Our servicemembers are doing this in a tense environment, where policy and budget decisions made over the next few months will shape the options available to leaders for decades into the future.

As the Air Force now finds itself in a situation where further acquisition deferment could lead to the eventual cessation of key missions, the authors of the letter request leaders to fully consider the ramifications of the decisions they make today as they seek to guide our nation through this difficult period.

 "Just as our legacy fleet has enabled national policy objectives over the past several decades, our future investments will govern the options available to leaders into the 2030s and 2040s. Investing in capable systems will make the difference between success and failure in future wars and between life and death for those who answer the call to serve our nation."

Read the full letter here >>