Yesterday, in the Washington Times (and the Early Bird), there appeared the most significant op-ed of my time as President of the Air Force Association.
It was written by two former Secretaries of the Air Force -- F. Whitten Peters and Michael W. Wynne.
In the piece, they describe the state of the Air Force. A quote to interest you:
“The Air Force has arrived at a make-or-break moment. The past 10 years have seen the service's share of the defense budget decline to record lows - hovering around 20 percent of the total - while 90 percent of the fiscal 2013 defense budget cuts were levied on the Air Force. In fact, the 2013 budget marks the fewest number of Air Force aircraft purchased in a given year since 1916, when the aviation section of the Army Signal Corps was buying Curtiss JN4 Jenny biplanes. The country actually managed to buy more aircraft in the midst of the Great Depression than it will next year. The Air Force faces a 100-year replacement rate for its fleet.
Resetting the U.S. Air Force will require investment - and it must be both substantial and stable over the coming years. While this is a tall order in our current budget climate, Air Force air power affords our leaders a broad range of critical policy options. Failing to recognize this - and make needed investments now - would be a choice the nation can't afford over the long run.”
You can find the piece on our website at: http://www.afa.org/EdOp/2012/wanted-New_planes.asp
For your consideration.
Mike
Michael M. Dunn
President/CEO
Air Force Association
"The only thing more expensive than a first-rate Air Force is … a second-rate Air Force." -- Senate staff member
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