Says ANG Is Critical To Sustaining Global Partnerships
Citing evolving missions and shrinking budgets, the Air Force
chief of staff is calling for the Air National Guard and
active-duty forces to work closer together.
"The skill set of National Guard members is critical to
sustaining worldwide partnerships," Air Force Gen. Norton A.
Schwartz said during a speech at the 131st annual National Guard
Association of the United States General Conference in Nashville,
TN last week. "We stand to succeed across all areas of our total
force mission, but we face numerous challenges."
Schwartz said the total Air Force structure is evolving along
with the demands being placed on the force by the Defense
Department. "We need to adapt to this change," he said.
Schwartz said the Air Force's most pressing priority is the
acquisition of new refueling tanker aircraft. He echoed Air Force
Secretary Michael Donley's speech at the conference the day before,
citing a robust request for proposals that is due out to
contractors later this year, with a final contract awarded in late
2010. "You all have a considerable investment in the new tanker,"
Schwartz told the audience, which responded with applause.
The second priority is fighter aircraft, the general said.
"Why would I want to dissipate a limited pool of resources on
a 4.5-generation fighter when I can purchase a fifth-generation
platform?" Schwartz asked the audience. He said it would be a
"major mistake as a nation" to spend money on upgrading the
existing Air Force inventory and "prematurely walk away from the
F-35," the joint strike fighter dubbed the Lightning II. "I think
this is the wrong approach," he said.
Schwartz said he believes the F-22 Raptor is "over-spec'd" for
the Air Force's air-sovereignty alert mission, but that he hopes to
bring a combination of F-22s, F-35s and legacy aircraft --
including upgraded F-15 and F-16 fighters -- as well as unmanned
aircraft to the that mission.
Schwartz noted that while distributing new platforms
concurrently among the active-duty Air Force and Air National Guard
and Air Force Reserve units is important, the changing role of the
Air Force means not all units will retain their present missions.
"We must recognize that the total Air Force is evolving," he said.
"As I said before, we need to adapt, but adaptation also applies to
a concurrent and proportional rollout in terms of F-35
procurement."
Schwartz said that in the future, not every fighter unit will
retain its flying mission. Units may migrate to operating unmanned
aircraft or switch to a nonflying mission. "We need to be equally
prepared to do those missions, too," he said.
The third priority for the Air Force is its long-range strike
capability, Schwartz said. "I think our country needs a penetrating
air capability," he said. "We cannot depend exclusively on 'fire
and forget' ballistic missiles. "And as you know," he continued,
citing the B-2 bomber mission at Whiteman Air Force Base, MO, "(The
Air Force) has a significant partnership in long-range strike
capability with the Guard and Reserve."
General Norton Schwartz Air Force
Photo
Schwartz reminded the group of ceremonies commemorating the
eighth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, calling them "a
sobering reminder of the unfamiliar political and military
landscape Americans now face. Now, more than ever, we must be
vigilant in our efforts to provide for the common defense of our
nation," he said.
ANN Salutes Air Force Tech. Sgt. Nick Choy serving in the
National Guard Bureau.