Letter to Congress: Stop Sequestration

Leaders of AFA, Association of United States Army (AUSA)and the Navy League of the United States teamed up to write a letter to Congressional leaders, urging them to act quickly in the lame duck session to avoid sequestration and solve the potentially devastating blow to our national security. 

Read it here: http://www.afa.org/grl/PDFs/AFA-AUSA-Navy_League_Sequestration_Letter.pdf

Note from AFA -- New CSAF, Sequestration and Defense Budget

Earlier this week, we officially said farewell to Mike Dunn as AFA's President and CEO. He served AFA and the nation superbly, and he will surely be missed. AFA's new president is set to take the reins 4 September 2012, but for the month of August I  will be Acting President and will carry on with the periodic updates from headquarters with "Notes from AFA."

This initiative was begun by Mike Dunn early in his five-year tenure, and we intend to continue them because the notes have allowed greater interaction and engagement with our members, supporters, partners and friends.  They have also served to highlight the most critical issues facing our Air Force and nation. With that said…

AFA congratulates General Mark Welsh on his confirmation as Air Force Chief of Staff.  We believe General Welsh is the right person to lead the Air Force through the difficult days ahead.

Recess for Congress starts next week, and we won't be expecting too much to come out of Washington. But there are a couple of legislative issues looming when Congress returns:

1. Sequestration… Most recently, OMB said military personnel accounts would be spared the budget ax, which ultimately will result in even steeper cuts to other areas of the Pentagon budget. Every Service chief has gone on record to say that the effects of sequestration will be devastating, and AFA urges bipartisan agreement to prevent this clause of the Budget Control Act of 2011 from taking place.  

2. Defense Budget: Earlier this week, Senate subcommittee put forward a Pentagon spending plan for FY13 that would set the base budget at $511 billion and would include $93 billion in OCO funds. Those figures are in line with DOD's budget request.  The bill rejects the Obama administration's proposed TRICARE fee hikes; reverses the Navy's plan to retire nine ships and funds the requested number of Joint Strike Fighters; provides an additional $180 million for efficient production of Air Force C-130Js; and provides $21.5 million to accelerate backup oxygen systems for the F-22 Raptor.

The decisions yet to be made in the coming months will affect how the USAF, and its sister Services, will be able to project US power in the years (and decades) to come. As this month progresses, we hope you lend your voices to the cause, contacting your local congressmen and women to protect the issues important to you and this nation. We will keep you updated with what we are doing here. 

Buck

David T. "Buck" Buckwalter
Acting President
Air Force Association

Note From AFA President -- Sequestration, 4 Jul, Quote

As we get closer to the end of the year, we approach our #1 enemy – namely ourselves.  Without Congressional and Presidential action, automatic budget cuts – called sequestration – of $1.2 Trillion will kick in.  The amount of the reduction in the defense budget will be about $50B per year … a 10% cut from the current base budget.  This will occur on 1 Jan 13, regardless of who is elected … unless the law is changed.  This cut will be on top of the $50B per year reduction that has already occurred … and the cut will be spread over only 9 months … vice a full year … because the fiscal year will be already ¼ over. 

I cannot find one example where we cut defense 20% while, at the same time, fighting a war.  Further, I know people are hurting … but we now spend about $700B per year on welfare in this country – on all programs.  I frequently remind people the Preamble to the Constitution says “ … provide for the common defence, promote the general welfare … “ … and, in reality, the verbs (at least here in Washington) seem to be swapped.

Our key military leaders have gone on record about the impact of sequestration on our force.  (See:   http://www.afa.org/PresidentsCorner/WashingtonPerspective/2012/Sequestration_in_testimony.pdf)  Also our Daily Report has published other key leaders’ views.  (See:  http://www.afa.org/PresidentsCorner/WashingtonPerspective/2012/Sequestration_in_coverage.pdf)  They are universally in agreement.  Simply put … we can’t let this happen.  I’d ask you contact your members of Congress to make your voices heard.

Secondly, I had hoped to send you one person’s testimonial every 4^th of July … but was delayed in getting clearance to send it to you.  It is a piece by Neil Cosentino which appeared in Daedalus Flyer, the official magazine of the Daedalians [Note if you are/were a flyer, you might consider joining this group.]  The piece struck a chord with me … on several levels.  First, in war, we lose aircraft.  We can’t just buy a few and hope they will be enough to do the job.  We lost 15 B-52s in Linebacker II in Viet Nam.  That would, today, be like losing most of our fleet of B-2s.  Second, war is fought by humans.  If we can provide them with the tools to accomplish their mission and survive, we are all the better for it.  Our sons and daughter deserve the very best equipment we can provide so they can defend us … and themselves.  Third … a quote from the piece says it all:

“The war proved once again that air power is the deciding factor in modern conflicts.”

You can find the piece at:  http://www.afa.org/EdOp/2012/The_White_Light.pdf

Finally, I want to remind all of you of a quote from General (Ret) Richard E. Hawley:

“In the six months from 23 August 1967 to 5 February 1968, Vietnamese MiG-21 pilots racked up a 16 to 1 kill advantage.  In all, we lost 2,448 fixed wing aircraft to a third world military whose Air Force deployed fewer than 200 aircraft.  How easily we forget.”

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