Adjutant General Reappointed

Governor Jay Inslee today announced his picks to head up the state’s Military Department.

Major General Bret D. Daugherty is being reappointed to his position as Adjutant General of the Washington Military Department. He serves as commander of Washington’s Army and National Guard forces and oversees the state’s Emergency Management and Enhanced 911 programs.

“Maj. Gen. Daugherty has done an outstanding job since taking on this role last year,” said Inslee. “I am honored that he has agreed to continue his service in my administration. He’ll be helping oversee some exciting new changes in replacing the department’s armories with more cost-effective readiness centers and will continue his leadership on important efforts such as the National Guard’s Counterdrug Task Force.”

WA Examines Retaining & Expanding Missions

Last August, Gov. Chris Gregoire and members of the Congressional delegation called together representatives from across the state to discuss five issues:

(1) Involvement and support from local elected officials in military-supporting organization’s activities;

(2) Preparation of a short presentation of these organization’s current activities;

(3) Commissioning an analysis and report of Washington’s strengths and challenges for military mission retention and expansion;

(4) Funding the report; and a

(5) Schedule for future meetings. 

In addition to input on these issues, the group wanted to hear thoughts and recommendations for making a Washington Military Alliance a success.  The goal was to identify and resolve any issues and achieve a common understanding.

As a result, the group established an aggressive timeline for a study to assess the strengths and opportunities Washington State has to offer the DoD as it implements its strategic plans and to provide a comprehensive report, including recommendations as to how the State can assist in promoting military mission retention and expansion.

That report, available here, will be an important tool in demonstrating to the DoD and military policy makers that maintaining and expanding military missions, as well as growing military contracting in Washington State, promotes national security and is a wise fiscal investment.

Based on the recommendations of the study, the Governor’s proposed budget included funding for a Director of Military Affairs, competitive matching grant funds to assist local communities address particular needs to support their base and matching funds to modernize and replace schools on JBLM.

Noteworthies with a Local Link

Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta today announced that Air Force Brig. Gen. Jerry P. Martinez has been nominated for appointment to the rank of major general.  Martinez is currently serving as the director, joint integration, deputy chief of staff for operations, plans and requirements, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Pentagon, Washington, D.C. BG Martinez was formerly a 62nd AW Commander.

Military Spouse Symposium

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Air Force Prepares for Sequester

The Air Force Magazine Online reports that Air Force leaders issued a directive to the major commands on Monday intended to soften the blow of budget sequestration, said Acting Undersecretary of the Air Force Jamie Morin. "We've moved from planning and analysis to directing at least a subset of actions," said Morin during an AFA-sponsored Air Force breakfast program address in Arlington, Va., on Jan. 15. 

The new guidance is based on a Jan. 7 memo that Air Force Secretary Michael Donley and Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh sent to Deputy Defense Secretary Ash Carter. The memo outlined the potential steps that the Air Force could take to lessen the impact of the budget sequester if it takes effect in March and the Defense Department also continues to operate under a continuing resolution, which keeps funding at Fiscal 2012 levels. Morin acknowledged that any actions that the Air Force takes will do little to prevent further severe cuts and readiness reductions if Congress does not resolve the double threat of sequestration and the continuing resolution by then.

The two-month delay to the start of budget sequestration sets up the situation where the United States—and the Pentagon—could face three major budget issues in March. Under the language of the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, which became law on Jan. 2, sequestration, with its significant budget cuts, is scheduled to hit the Pentagon and other federal departments on March 1. Meanwhile, at or around the same time—in late February or early March—the Treasury Department will run out of options to avoid breaching the federal debt limit, thereby raising the danger of a default.  On top of that is the fact that the continuing resolution that is currently funding the federal government at Fiscal 2012 levels expires on March 27.

Budget sequestration will severely damage Air Force readiness if it is triggered on March 1, states a memo last week from the service's leadership to Deputy Defense Secretary Ash Carter. According to the memo, signed by Air Force Secretary Michael Donley and Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh, the Air Force can no longer simply hope Congress will avoid the postponed sequester and is therefore taking steps to blunt the effects, which in any case will have "immediate and devastating impacts to readiness."

Since combat units must have top priority, the Air Force will apply the mandated spending cuts to any units not in Afghanistan or spooling up to go there, "sacrificing preparedness for contingencies or [operations plans]," states the memo. The 18-percent reduction would be applied "disproportionately across the force," causing some units to "stand down for extended periods," with a possible "flying ‘standdown’ from late July through September.”

The sequestration effects described in the memo sent by the Air Force leadership to Deputy Defense Secretary Ash Carter last week assume that the service immediately takes some cost-cutting steps, but which can only slightly dampen the pain. Secretary Michael Donley and Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh described 10 steps in the memo that they would take to minimally blunt the devastation.

These include notifying civilians of a furlough as soon as possible; implementing a hiring freeze; reviewing items in the overseas contingency operations account to "identify potential deferments"; canceling all temporary duty assignments, conferences, and symposia; halting any public-relations flying, such as airshows or memorial flyovers; curtailing purchases of office supplies, furniture, and fresh IT gear; deferring any real property maintenance by half; de-obligating or incrementally funding contracts to encompass only Fiscal 2013; and selectively halting or delaying contracts "to reduce expenditures."

The Air Force leadership must take “prudent guidance” to prepare for the possibility of a defense-wide $45 billion sequestration taking effect on March 1. The guidance will help the major commands "minimize the harmful effects" of cutting as much as 18 percent to 20 percent of the Defense Department's Fiscal 2013 budget in the last two quarters of the fiscal year. Measures that the Air Force could take to brace itself for the unprecedented short-notice spending cuts include: a civilian hiring freeze; a freeze on real property maintenance and travel; postponing small-scale purchases such as furniture and replacement IT gear; and, as a last resort, diminished flying hours and aircraft maintenance.

The services have been directed to pick cuts that are "adjustable and reversible," meaning readiness would be affected first and long-term programs last. Civilian pay is "40 percent of the Air Force operations and maintenance" line item and so would certainly be affected. 

Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley said "we will steel ourselves" for if sequester takes effect; there's no way to avoid some hollowing of the force.

Army Prepares for Sequestration

The Association of Defense Communities reports the Army on Wednesday ordered senior commanders to trim spending on a broad array of installation support functions, including community and recreational activities, utilities and the delivery of other services.

Overall, commanders are directed to carry out “across-the-board efficiencies” to achieve at least a 30% savings in fiscal 2013 base operations support compared to FY 2012 spending levels, according to a memo from Chief of Staff Gen. Raymond Odierno and Secretary John McHugh. The memo also orders commanders to reduce new and current contracts to minimum levels without incurring penalties.

Soon the assistant secretary for manpower & reserve affairs will issue guidance on the use of soldiers to perform installation functions.

Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton Carter already authorized the services and defense agencies to consider a range of immediate actions to mitigate the possibility of deep budget cuts, such as trimming facilities maintenance, reducing base operating funding, and limiting travel, training and conferences to mitigate the possibility that the department is required to identify FY 2013 savings of about $45 billion starting in March.

The austerity measures also are needed to accommodate the likelihood that the department is funded under a continuing resolution through Sept. 30.

The directive calls for Army commanders to cease facilities sustainment activities that “are not directly connected to life, health or safety.” Commanders also should stop all restoration and modernization projects, including the facilities reduction program and projects required to allow stationing decisions to go ahead.

No earlier than Feb. 15, officials should consider cancelling third and fourth quarter ship maintenance availabilities, and aviation and ground depot-level maintenance. Officials also will need to conduct a related planning effort for further actions that would be necessary if sequestration is imposed.

The memo also directs the services to draw up contingency plans for actions that most likely would not be implemented unless sequestration is triggered March 1. Other actions include implementing an immediate civilian hiring freeze across the Army and terminating temporary employees “consistent with mission requirements.” Commanders may need to consider civilian 30-day furloughs and authorizing voluntary separation incentives furloughs. But those are “a tool of last resort.”

Funding for military personnel would be exempt from the across-the-board cuts imposed under sequestration, while funding for wartime operations and wounded warrior programs should be “fully protected” under planned budget actions. Programs that managers should attempt to protect “to the extent feasible” in drafting contingency plans include family programs, funding most directly associated with readiness and programs closely associated with the new defense strategy.

In considering cost-cutting steps affecting construction projects, managers should attempt to minimize disruption and avoid penalties.

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