Noteworthies with a Local Link

Secretary of Defense Ash Carter announced today that the president has nominated Air Force Gen. Darren W. McDew for appointment to the rank of general and for assignment as commander, U.S. Transportation Command, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. 

Gen. McDew is currently serving as commander, Air Mobility Command, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois.  He served as 62nd Ops Group Commander in 2001 at McChord AFB, now JBLM-McChord Field.
  

AMC Cancels Rodeo

Today, the 62nd AW shared with community leaders, civic leaders, honorary commanders and congressional delegates, the disappointment of cancellation of AMC Rodeo for 2015 at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

Today was the actual official release.  Col. Kumashiro says an event of this magnitude could not be successfully completed without the strong relationships built together with McChord's  community partners and businesses that support Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

He said, "We value and appreciate our continued partnerships and very much look forward to the day when we can bring this event back to JBLM and our surrounding communities."

Attached is the official press release for your information.

McChord Takes Half of C-17 Manpower Reductions

The Air Force announced the inactivation of two C-17 squadrons– one at Joint Base Charleston, S.C and one at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash. These inactivation’s were part of the FY15 President’s Budget submission released in March 2014 and will occur over the course of the next two years.

The Air Force plans to make adjustments over the next few years to the active duty, Reserve, and Guard components to ensure successful transitions to a leaner force that remains ready for future operations. The FY15 President’s Budget converts 16 AMC C-17s (eight from each base) from primary mission aircraft inventory to backup aircraft inventory. As a result, AMC will inactivate the 17th Airlift Squadron at Joint Base Charleston, S.C., in FY15; and the 10th Airlift Squadron at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., in FY16. These inactivations are not new actions, but additional detail on the previously announced budget submission released in March.

“The 10th Airlift Squadron Pathfinders have a storied legacy of outstanding performance,” said Col. David Kumashiro, 62nd Airlift Wing commander. “Their legacy…their DNA…will not be lost. It will forever be part of our Air Force.”

“The men and women of the 62nd Airlift Wing and our United States Air Force are the best trained Airmen in the world. Make no doubt about it, your Airmen here at Joint Base Lewis-McChord remains ready, committed, and able to meet all of our worldwide taskings.”

“In this fiscally constrained environment, we have to balance readiness, capability and capacity,” said Major Gen. Michael S. Stough, AMC’s Director of Strategic Plans, Requirements and Programs. “To best preserve this capability, the intent is to fund these aircraft back into primary mission aircraft inventory in future years, and transfer them to the Reserve Component – and we’re working with our Air National Guard partners to do that, perhaps even as early as FY16. We rely on our Total Force partners every day to meet our global mobility requirements; we couldn’t do the mission without them. Our goal is to continue to leverage the unique strengths of the active and Reserve components to meet current and future requirements with available resources.”

Backup aircraft inventory are assigned with no manpower or flying hours. However, they will continue to receive funding needed to support weapon system sustainment. Converting 16 aircraft to BAI removes funding for the personnel and flying hours associated with those aircraft, for a savings of approximately $110M per year.

AMC's goal, reports the Air Force Magazine, is to return these C-17s to PAI status at some point and transfer them to the reserve components, said Maj. Gen. Michael Stough, AMC's director of strategic plans, requirements, and programs. "We're working with our Air National Guard partners to do that, perhaps even as early as Fiscal 2016," he said.

AMC Awards Spokane/Fairchild Abilene Trophy

The Air Mobility Command report the 2013 Abilene Trophy was awarded to Spokane, Washington, this week by AMC. This award is presented annually to the community in AMC that is most supportive of its local Air Force base.

Fairchild Air Force Base has a continuous global mission that employs more than 5,700 personnel and supports 17,000 retirees; and the Inland Northwest community has proven to be the grassroots supporting Fairchild and Air Mobility Command.

"Team Fairchild celebrates the Abilene award for our All-American community. 2013 was arguably one of the more difficult years for the base since 1994 and the patriotic Spokane community was our closest wingman during every challenge," said Col. Brian Newberry, the 92nd Air Refueling Wing commander. "Their Lilac heart beats strong for our Airmen. We salute the Abilene Chamber of Commerce Military Affairs committee, specifically Ms. Kristina Jones and Mr. Gray Bridwell, for hosting an award that recognizes our red, white and blue communities that make us stronger. Congratulations Spokane and the Greater Spokane Incorporated!"

Spokane has neighbored Fairchild and its military units for more than 93 years. Many of the city's accolades last year gave proof that it is still, more than ever, proudly supporting its American Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors and Marines in the Inland Northwest.

"I truly believe that our community's relationship with the Air Force represents the best in the nation. This award is an incredible honor for our citizens and a testament to their unwavering support of Fairchild and our local military families, whom we honor every year in May with the Lilac Festival and Parade," said Spokane Mayor David Condon. "We pride ourselves on that legacy and will continue to uphold the mission of Fairchild Air Force Base, the individuals who serve here, and their families."

Below are some of the attributes of why the Abilene Trophy was awarded to the city of Spokane:
• The Spokane Liliac Festival Armed Forces Torchlight Parade continues to be the largest U.S. nighttime parade, which attracts more than 150,000 visitors saluting the military.
• Operation Spokane Heroes donated $5,000 in holiday gift cards to military families; in 2013, Treats-for-Troops donations tripled for Soldiers and Airmen overseas.
• Spokane Military Alliance was created to better funnel business support for military.
• The state of Washington employs more than 700 traditional Guardsmen, and a majority in the City of Spokane. Just in 2013, these employers have supported their Airmen who executed 227 deployments with a total of 17,408 days to serve around the world.

"This is truly a community honor and shows how fortunate we are to have Fairchild Air Force Base and its personnel part of our community," said Rich Hadley, President and CEO of Greater Spokane Incorporated.

These milestones will be honored and celebrated with a trophy to the City of Spokane at a later date and will be presented by the Abilene Community.

McChord Included in C-17 Reduction Plans

The president's budget proposal announced earlier this month outlines a future rapid global mobility force structure that includes the retirement of the C-38 fleet and reduction of the C-130H, KC-135 and C-20 programs reports Capt. Kathleen Ferrero, Air Mobility Command Public Affairs and Claudette Ruolo, American Forces Press Service, who contributed to the article.

In addition, officials note the planned movement of 16 aircraft into backup inventory during fiscal year 2015 (see map for state-by-state data).  (Click on Image for a Larger and Complete View)



Over the next five years, the Air Force plans to remove almost 500 aircraft from its entire inventory to transition to a leaner force as it faces about $12.5 billion in budget cuts, according to officials.

Col. Todd Cargle, Air Mobility Command Programs Division chief, said the budget cuts are forcing the Air Force to make hard choices to meet rapid global mobility mission requirements within budget constraints.

"We needed to make sure we were putting forward the best possible recommendation to support the warfighter," Cargle said. "Every stakeholder -- four other major commands, the Air National Guard, and Air Force Reserve -- at every level was at the table to shape this recommendation."

The budget calls for the closure of four active associate units (three existing units and one that was in the planning phases). Active associate units combine active duty with Air National Guard or Air Force Reserve resources.

Maj. Gen. Maryanne Miller, deputy to the chief of the Air Force Reserve, told Congress this month that the fiscal year 2015 proposed budget was "a transparent, collaborative Total Force planning effort maximizing the contributions of all three components."

It was also a collaborative decision to retire the C-38 fleet.

The Air Force argues that retiring entire fleets can save billions of dollars, because it saves the costs associated with infrastructure, logistics, personnel and base operating support. For example, the future retirement of the KC-10 fleet could save the DoD more than $2 billion across the Future Years Defense Plan, Cargle said.

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh described the enormity of what $12 billion means to the budget in his latest "Airman to Airman" message.

"If we stop flying for the next two years ... completely, no flying hours at all in our AF for two years, we can pay [only] one year of the sequestration bill," said Welsh. "It's a big problem. ... we're working hard to fix it, but there's going to be tough choices that have to be made."

To face the challenge of the future security environment and dwindling budgets, Air Force senior leaders plan to shrink "capacity"-- or how much it can do at any one time, in order to maintain "capability"-- what the Air Force can do at any time.

For example, if the Congress agrees to the changes when they pass next fiscal year's National Defense Authorization Act, C-17A capacity will be reduced by placing some C-17s into backup inventory to not fly daily, but to still preserve strategic airlift capability if needed, Cargle said.

The fact that sequestration budget limits are scheduled to return in fiscal year 2016 cannot be ignored, Gen. Welsh told the House Armed Services Committee March 14.

"Every major decision reflected in our (fiscal 2015) budget proposal hurts," Welsh said. "Each of them reduces capability that our combatant commanders would love to have and believe they need. There are no more easy cuts."