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| Air Force To RIF 40,000 |
| 2006-06-18 |
| The Air Force has sent a memo to airmen explaining why the service is cutting the force by 40,000 in the coming years. The bottom line: The Air Force wants to free up money to pay for expensive weapons systems, such as the F-22 Raptor. "We are reducing end strength and becoming more efficient," the memo states. "It is important to maintain our technological edge to fight the wars of today and tomorrow." Warning that pink slips are coming, the memo adds, "We understand this could be a difficult time for some airmen and their families. We will use every authority available to minimize the impact for those transitioning to civilian life." The active-duty Air Force is slated to shrink from 351,800 this year to 334,200 in 2007. |
| Posted by:Anonymoose |
| #7 The F-22 suffers from lack of foreign opponents and domestic competition (JSF) for scarce dollars. The collapse of the Soviet Union pretty much removed the need for the F-22 as an air superiority fighter resulting in the continuing reduction in the number to be procured from 700 to 183. Since we always fight in an air supremacy environment, we really only need a few squadrons of F-22s to sweep the skies and then let the real work be done by less expensive warhorses like the F-15, F-16, B-52, and A-10. The F-22 is the last gasp of the fighter pilot mafia. It's been a good run for them. The bomber boys ruled the 50s and 60s and the fighter guys have had the last 30 years. Now the future belongs to RPV/UAV/UASs and white scarf fighter pilots will be replaced by kids putting their gaming skills to use fighting RPVs. The F-22 just doesn't have a mission to justify the cost of procurement. The AF can afford either the F-22 or the F-35 JSF. The JSF, planned replacement for the F-16s and F-18s has too much political juice not to go forward. So eventually, someone in Congress will grow a spine and tell Lockheed to pound sand on the F-22. |
| Posted by: RWV 2006-06-18 22:04 |
| #6 ...The F-22 is running into a serious problem - its avionics are overheating on the ground. In addition, the skin panels are suffering from corrosion. Don't send one more damn person home until this airplane - which has been in test and evaluation for nearly FIFTEEN G*DAM*ED YEARS - is working properly. Mike |
| Posted by: Mike Kozlowski 2006-06-18 21:05 |
| #5 This is old news. The plan was detailed in PBD (Program Budget Decision) 720 published 20 December 2005 entitled Air Force Transformation Flight Plan. The Air Force proposal streamlines organizations to a smaller, more agile force and transforms its organizational structures with an increased emphasis on supporting the Warfighter. This includes, but is not limited to, completing the Air Force’s Warfighting Headquarters transformation in order to support the Combatant Commanders (COCOMs) and Joint Task Forces (JTFs). These organizational restructuring actions will result in a more streamlined structure with an enhanced ability to employ air, space, and cyberspace power in support of COCOMs and JTFs. Eliminating redundancies and streamlining organizations will make it possible to field a more capable force of military, civilians, and contractors while freeing up resources for recapitalization. Additionally, the Air Force proposal continues enterprise-wide organizational efficiencies to produce investment capital. These actions include incorporating LEAN processes throughout the Air Force; centralizing and regionalizing targeted workloads, to include streamlining and centralizing Information Technology; and aggressively reducing contractor support throughout the Air Force. The majority of the proposed savings will be generated through process efficiencies..... The Air Force identifies 5 specific manpower reductions that can be achieved by eliminating the most expensive, least effective systems; recapitalizing, modernizing, and rebalancing the Air Force “total force” into a smaller, more lethal and agile force; and ensures continued COCOM assigned mission support in Air, Space, and Cyber Commons as it pertains to Air Force Executive Agency responsibilities.... PBD720 called for reducing the B-52 fleet from 94 to 56, eliminating half of the C-21 fleet (78 to 36), eliminate the U-2 by 2011, eliminate the F-117 by 2008, and increasing the procurement of F-22s from 179 to 183 and stretching the production by 3 years. This is not a happy document and it is not a happy force. The Air Force is already 40% smaller than it was when the Berlin Wall fell. One result of PBD 720 is a surprising number of newly commissioned 2nd Lieutenants are being sent home, told that the AF had no place for them and that their services are not required. This is just part of a painful restructuring of the force structure. To make matters worse, the AF has a looming problem among its civilian work force, depending on where you look, approximately 50% of AF civilians are elgible for retirement within 5 years (result of a hiring freeze during the 90s). Some other time, I may rant about how LEAN has become a dirty word. |
| Posted by: RWV 2006-06-18 17:50 |
| #4 The Army's hiring. People are expensive and becoming moreso. This is good long term move. |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2006-06-18 17:06 |
| #3 OS, this goes along with the article a couple back about the Navy offering buy outs. The problem really is a fundamental readjustment from decades of funding and manpower alignment driven by Cold War planning and turf building within and between the services. The restructuring is focused upon what war(s) we anticipate in the forseeable future with reasonable guesstimation. If you understand that the greatest cost to DoD is really personnel and their support [and include the ever increasing and longer living retirees*], they understand they can't afford to try to cover everything. * Congress could help considerably by removing the 'obligation' they made by contract with the retirees, out of the DoD budget proper. However, then a big looming obligation becomes obvious and they're not to eager to show the public the effects of their earlier handiwork. Plus, as Congress starts, as they have, to renege on the promises, it'll really upset the AARP crowd. |
| Posted by: Chemble Ebbiting2232 2006-06-18 16:53 |
| #2 I'm with you. It's stupid. Maybe we can blindfold who's left, and see if F-22's can fly, as well as maintain themselves. |
| Posted by: J. D. Lux 2006-06-18 16:45 |
| #1 Stupid. Hey CONgress: Fund them BOTH form the f***ing pork money you keep trying to line your pockets with. |
| Posted by: Oldspook 2006-06-18 16:34 |