Air Force announces force structure and mission changes

WASHINGTON - The Air Force announced force structure plans to retire, not acquire or transfer 191 Air National Guard aircraft and add 65 aircraft to the Air National Guard fleet.

The changes announced today will impact Air Guard units in 27 states and territories over the next few years, according to Pentagon officials here today.

The affected states are Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

The manpower realignment plan built by the Reserve Component will significantly affect additional units in all 54 states and territories. We will be able to provide manpower adjustments by installation and state in the coming weeks.

Through the Air Force's proposed force structure realignment plan, the Air Force plans to retire 286 aircraft as part of the president's new defense strategy and the Budget Control Act's requirements to cut $487 billion from the defense budget over the next 10 years. The Air Force's share is about $50 billion.

"Gen. Schwartz has said that the Air Force is going to get smaller, and all of the components, Active, Guard and Reserve, are going to get smaller. It's now becoming a reality," said Air Force Lt. Gen. Harry M. Wyatt III, Air National Guard director.

"The Air National Guard has been here before," Wyatt added. "We need to continue to work with our active duty and Reserve counterparts to ensure we have the best Air Force possible. America's security depends upon us getting this force mix correct."

The Air National Guard's changes include:

• Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson Air Force Base, Alaska - Retire four C-130 Hercules military transport aircraft.
• Dannelly Airfield, Ala. - Retire one RC-26 Metroliner military transport aircraft (planned in the 2015 fiscal year).
• Ft. Smith, Ark. -Retire 20 A-10 Thunderbolt jet aircraft; Add oneMQ-1/9 Reaper Remote Split Operations unit.
• Little Rock, Ark. - Retire one C-130H2 (planned in the 2017 fiscal year).
• Sky Harbor Air Guard Station, Ariz. - Retire one KC-135 Stratotanker military transport aircraft.
• Tucson, Ariz. - Retire one RC-26 aircraft (planned in the 2015 fiscal year).
• Fresno Air National Guard Base, Calif. - Retire one RC-26 aircraft.
• Bradley ANGB, Conn. - C-27J Spartan military transport aircraft squadron will not open (loss of four future aircraft); add nine to 11 MC-12W Liberty aircraft (planned for the 2014 fiscal year).
• Jacksonville, Fla. - Retire one RC-26 aircraft (planned for the 2015 fiscal year).
• Savannah, Ga. - Retire eight C-130H2 aircraft (planned for the 2016 fiscal year); add eight C-130H3 (planned for the 2016 fiscal year).
• Robins, Ga. - Retire one E-8 Joint STARS battle management aircraft.
• Des Moines, Iowa - Retire 21 F-16 Fighting Falcon jet aircraft; add one MQ-1/9 RSO unit.
• Sioux City AGS, Iowa - Retire one KC-135 aircraft.
• Ft Wayne, Ind. - Retire 20 A-10 aircraft; add nine to 11 MC-12W aircraft (planned for the 2014 fiscal year).
• Louisville, Ky. - Transfer one C-130H2.5 aircraft.
• Warfield AGS, Martin State, Md. - C-27J squadron will not open (loss of four future aircraft) ; add ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) Group and expand Net Warfare Squadron.
• Selfridge, Mich. - Retire 21 A-10 aircraft; add four KC-135Rs.
• Kellogg AGS, Mich. - Retire four C-27J aircraft; add one MQ-1/9 RSO unit.
• Meridian, Miss. - Retire six C-27J aircraft; retire one RC-26 aircraft (planned for the 2015 fiscal year); add nine to 11 MC-12W aircraft (planned for the 2014 fiscal year).
• Rosecrans AGS, Mo. -Retire eight C-130H2.5s; transfer two C-130H2.5s aircraft; add eight C-130H3s (planned for the 2014 fiscal year).
• Great Falls, Mont. - C-27J squadron will not open (loss of four future aircraft); add eight C-130sH2 (planned in the 2014 fiscal year).
• Charlotte, N.C. - Transfer two C-130 (planned for the 2017 fiscal year).
• Fargo, N.D. - C-27J squadron will not open (loss of four future aircraft).
• Kirtland AFB, N.M. - Retire one RC-26 aircraft (planned for the 2015 fiscal year).
• (Stratton AGS) Schenectady, N.Y. - Retire four C-130H2 aircraft.
• (Hancock Field AGS) Syracuse, N.Y. - Retire one RC-26 aircraft (planned in the 2015 fiscal year).
• Mansfield, Ohio - Retire four C-27J aircraft.
• Rickenbacker, Ohio - Retire six KC-135 aircraft.
• Pittsburgh, Pa. - Retire four KC-135 aircraft.
• Willow Grove, Pa. - Add one MQ-1/9 RSO unit.
• McGhee-Tyson, Tenn. - Transfer two KC-135 aircraft.
• Carswell, Texas - Transfer eight C-130H2 (planned for the 2014 fiscal year); add nine to 11 MC-12W aircraft (planned for the 2014 fiscal year).
• Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base, Texas - Retire one RC-26 aircraft (planned for the 2015 fiscal year).
• Fairchild AFB, Wash. - Retire one RC-26 aircraft (planned for FY15).
• (Shepherd Field AGS) Martinsburg, W. Va. - Retire 11 C-5A Galaxy military transport aircraft (planned for the 2015 fiscal year); add eight C-17 aircraft (planned for the 2015 fiscal year).
• Charleston, W. Va. - Retire one RC-26 aircraft (planned for the 2015 fiscal year); transfer one C-130.
• Truax AGS, Wisc. - Retire one RC-26 aircraft.
• Gen Mitchell, Wisc. - Transfer two KC-135 aircraft.
• Cheyenne, Wyo. - Transfer one C-130H2.5; Add one C-130H3.

"We participated in the Air Force corporate process along with the Air Force Reserves to find efficiencies and mitigate effects of reductions," Wyatt said. "The experience and capabilities of our personnel are at its highest levels due to being an operational reserve fighting alongside active duty since Desert Storm. We need to maintain this capability in order to meet any future contingencies."

The Air Force is scheduled to announce manpower changes caused by these structure changes in the next few weeks.

In order for the planned reductions to take effect, they must be approved by Congress and signed into law by the president.

"Although the associated manpower changes are not available, the Air National Guard is putting together programs to retain as many Airmen as possible," Wyatt added. "We need to continue to adapt to meet today's mission, while looking ahead at tomorrow's challenges."