HOMECOMING

reconnect over food and drinks provided by United Service Organizations volunteers

“I came to support all the men and women that I was deployed with at Al Udeid Air Base,” said 1st Lt. Andrew Setrin, 91st Air Refueling Squadron pilot. “It’s a heartwarming feeling knowing we have so many people that support us.”

Operation Homecoming was brought together through the efforts of personnel from sections all across the base. The event enabled team MacDill to demonstrate the wing’s appreciation for the re-deployers and their families.

According to the event organizers, this is the first of many celebrations for returning deployers with the goal being to have an event every quarter.

The 6th ARW thanks all their service members and their families for the sacrifices they make throughout their military career. The support of military families serves as the backbone for the 6th ARW’s ability to deliver hope and project lethality, anytime and anywhere.

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From Page 3 commander. “The move is also important to encourage our Airmen separating from active service to ‘stay blue’ and continue to use their skills and training for the nation as part of the Reserve.”

As recruiting continues to be a challenge across all services, the Air Force Reserve missed last year’s goal of 8,200 by nearly 2,000 accessions. Providing an incentivized opportunity for fully-qualified enlisted prior-service members or Inactive Ready Reserve members to transition to the Reserve Component is one tool to help close the gap in reaching this year’s goal of 9,300 accessions.

“In order to compete with the private sector and other military services in appealing to and retaining qualified talent, we need to have all available resources at our disposal,” said Col. Ephod Shang, 367th Recruiting Group commander and director of AFRC Recruiting. “The Air Force Reserve is such an attractive option to continue to fulfill one’s desire to serve and maintain some very tangible benefits, all while performing on a part-time basis. I highly encourage individuals separating from the active duty to engage with a recruiter to learn more about what additional benefits and incentives they may qualify for.”

Active-duty and IRR Airmen interested in joining the Reserve should contact a recruiter using the Aim High app, visit AFReserve.com or call 800-257-1212 to learn more about this and many other opportunities to serve in the Air Force Reserve.

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Shown is the Studies and Analysis Squadron’s Study Guides website providing enlisted promotion study materials for Airmen testing to staff sergeant and technical sergeant. The new resource makes it easier for Airmen preparing for an upcoming promotion test – no more having to hunt down different pieces from various places.

The new resource makes it easier for Airmen preparing for an upcoming promotion test – no more having to hunt down different pieces from various places. Now, Airmen can quickly locate everything they need on one convenient page, just a few clicks away –making studying much simpler

“The science of adult learning tells us that this learning occurs differently across populations and individuals. So, it’s important that we provide a variety of options for Airmen to learn,” said Lt. Col. Marcus McNabb, SAS commander “This is an important first step in that direction and provides an audio resource, in addition to the traditional written resource.”

“Coupled with the plan to transition the test administration to an electronic medium in 2024, this modernization of testing resources and administration aims to reduce the administrative burden of testing Airmen and allows them to focus on the important aspects regarding Air Force and job-specific knowledge,” he said. “Ultimately, these efforts will ensure the Air Force promotion system continues to evolve to ensure we continue to promote the highest performing Airmen and meet the demand for quality Airmen to assure our nation’s defense.”

The hearing was the first major step in a lengthy, annual process that yields a new spending plan for the department. As designed, the process is expected to finish by Oct. 1 when the new fiscal year begins But because of complexities in policy and political disagreements that deadline has often been missed in recent years, forcing Congress to enact temporary, shortterm budgets known as “continuing resolutions” or CRs. A CR maintains spending at levels from the previous year’s budget but it also prohibits spending on new or substantially revised programs and projects.

That restriction is troublesome, Kendall, Brown and Saltzman told lawmakers because the department’s budget request contains nearly two dozen new programs designed specifically to add equipment and capabilities necessary to address challenges posed by strategic competitors like China and Russia.

An on-time budget will continue the change required to address both todays and tomorrow’s national security threats,” Brown told lawmakers. “We must fulfill our sacred duty of providing our Airmen with the tools they need to be successful.”

Later in the hearing, in response to a question, Kendall warned lawmakers of the consequences if the budget is not enacted on time and ready by the start of the fiscal year “I can’t overstate how devastating it would be,” he said.

“We have got to stay ahead of the threat; our deterrent capability depends on that and our ability to prevail depends on that. It would be utterly devastating to the department; it would have a lot of negative impacts across the board,” Kendall said.

Brown, in responding to the same question, said, “It would be a step backwards … That’s not the place we need to be with our pacing challenge. Our goal is to stay ahead of the pacing challenge, not chase the pacing challenge.”

Saltzman, in his opening remarks, made a similar point.

“This budget request is designed to deliver the forces, personnel, and partnerships the Space Force requires to preserve U.S. advantages in space,” Saltzman told the subcommittee, referring to the Space Force’s $30 billion budget request. “ … But only if the Congress passes timely appropriations.”

The department’s $215.1 billion budget request, Kendall told the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, includes “approximately 20 completely new or significantly rescoped program elements that we must develop, produce and field, if we desire to maintain the air and space superiority that America and our allies have counted on for decades.”

The budget proposal submitted to Congress March 13 includes $185.1 billion for the Air Force and $30 billion for the Space Force. If enacted into law as proposed, the department’s overall budget would grow by $9.3 billion beyond last year’s enacted budget.

As he has frequently emphasized, Kendall told lawmakers again that the budget proposal was designed to ensure the Air and Space Forces remain formidable, that they allow the services to evolve to ensure that deterrence is maintained and, specifically, to transform the Air and Space Forces so they can meet the primary security challenge – “China, China, China.”

He mentioned that the budget is the result of “difficult choices,” but that it advances the most critical programs and goals.

“For the strategic triad, we have fully funded the Sentinel ICBM, the B-21 Raider bomber and our nuclear command and control programs For the conventional force, we are increasing production of both the F-35 and the F-15EX,” he said.

He noted that the budget includes funding for the Next Generation Air Dominance Program and for further developing uncrewed Collaborative Combat Aircraft. He also mentioned a focus on “continuing the acquisition of sensor programs like the E-7 and the new resilient Missile Warning and Tracking space system.” The proposal includes funding for a 5.2% raise for Airmen and Guardians, the highest in history, as well as additional funding to improve dormitories and other facilities important for quality of life

All of these “choices” he told lawmakers, move the Air Force and Space Force “into the future.”

Getting there requires tradeoffs, including “divestment of the over 40-year-old A-10 Warthog. This program has served us well but it is absorbing resources needed for higher priorities,” Kendall said.