AFA Supporting Air Force Priorities

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AFA Supporting Air Force Priorities
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Overview

• Air Force Association Mission
• US Air Force Top 3 Priorities
• AFA Top Issues Supporting USAF Priorities
• Bottom line
• Questions/comments

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AFA Mission

• To educate the public about the critical role of
  aerospace power in the defense of our nation
• To advocate aerospace power a strong national
  defense
• To support the US Air Force and the AF family
• Advance aerospace education through grants,
  scholarships, professional forums
• Develop annual Statement of Policy and Top Issues
  communicate positions to Congress American
  people

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US Air Force Top Priorities

• Winning the War on Terror while preparing for the
  next war
• Developing caring for Airmen families to
  maintain a competitive advantage
• Recapitalizing modernizing aircraft, satellites
  equipmentto optimize the military utility of
  systems and to better meet 21st Century
  challenges

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AFA Top Issues Supporting USAF

• AFA 2007 Top Issues we take to Congress
  supporting priority of Winning the War on Terror
  while preparing for the next war
• Make necessary investments today, commit 4 of
  Gross Domestic Product to build a modern military
  force 65 billion plus a year
• Educate the public to fully understand the vital
  role the USAF has in Global War on Terrorism

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AFA Top Issues Supporting USAF

• Supporting winning the War on Terror while
  preparing for the next war
• AFA wants a greater national commitment in
  resources for our Air Force
• A greater integration of diplomatic, economic,
  and information instruments

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AFA Top Issues Supporting USAF

• AFA 2007 Top Issues we take to Congress
  supporting priority of developing caring for
  Airmen families to maintain competitive
  advantage
• Urging extreme caution with personnel cuts, need
  right balance of skills, experience to get job
  done
• Greater integration of Total Force for new
  missions of cyber warfare, Unmanned Aerial
  Vehicles homeland defense
• -- Expand role of Guard/Reserve, man equip for
  that role
• -- Make restructuring equally, not
  disproportionate

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AFA Top Issues Supporting USAF

• Supporting developing caring for Airmen
  families to maintain competitive advantage
• AF civilians careful study of proposals to
  overhaul current Civil Service system so
  workforce has right tools to stay competitive
• Veterans retirees keep TRICARE as earned
  benefit mandatory funding of VA health care
  system, increase funding to correct current
  inadequacies

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AFA Top Issues Supporting USAF

• Supporting developing caring for Airmen
  families to maintain competitive advantage
• Training Education want DOD to expand
  partnership with industry academia to get more
  young people interested in math, science
  aerospace
• Investment in people strengthen quality of life
  programs with open season enrollment for
  Montgomery GI Bill explore alternative leave
  program to allow members to transfer annual leave
  to other members in emergency situations

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AFA Top Issues Supporting USAF

• AFA 2007 Top Issues we take to Congress
  supporting priority of recapitalizing
  modernizing aircraft, satellites equipment to
  meet 21st Century challenges
• Ancient weapon systems stop Congress from
  putting restrictions on force structure,
  operations let US Air Force balance its needs
• Modernization Urge Congress to give US Air
  Force the right resources to get the job done
• -- Develop long-range strike systems, obtain new
  fighters tankersmore airliftmore Unmanned
  Aerial Vehicles for Intelligence, Surveillance,
  Reconnaissance

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AFA Top Issues Supporting USAF

• Supporting recapitalizing modernizing aircraft,
  satellites equipment to meet 21st Century
  challenges
• AFA believes restricting defense budget while at
  war is short sighted dangerous
• -- Nation can, must provide MORE resources to
  fund its military
• -- Raise spending ½ of 1 of Gross Domestic
  Product, from 3.5 to 4, adding 65 billion more
  a year for defense

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AFA Top Issues Supporting USAF

• Supporting recapitalizing modernizing aircraft,
  space systems equipment to meet 21st Century
  challenges
• AFA lauds efforts to become more efficient --
  SMART OPS --want to push even harder, but realize
  only so much can be done
• Nation needs to provide tangible support now in
  future
• Imperative USAF stay on leading edge of
  technology

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AFA Top Issues Supporting USAF

• More top issues AFA takes to Congress
• Space cyberspace crucial US defend itself
  against cyber-attack, need more cooperation among
  private sector, DOD, and government agencies to
  protect networks
• Homeland Defense need increased efforts from
  Congress Executive branch to secure nations
  borders airspace
• -- Must prepare for another 9/11 or Hurricane
  Katrina
• -- Administration Congress must fully fund the
  air defense mission provide sufficient US-based
  airlift

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Bottom Line

• Critical times for our nation
• Must make necessary investments today to win the
  Global War on Terrorism, counter future threats
  commit 4 of GDP to national defense
• Must not mortgage the future, must not take air
  space dominance for granted

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In Closing

• From one of our Air Force AFA founding fathers
  
• our Air Force belongs to those who come from
  ranks of labor, management, the farms, the
  stores, the professions and colleges and
  legislative hallsAir Power will always be the
  business of every American citizen.
• General Henry Hap Arnold

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In this, we dare not fail
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Questions/Comments