USAF Presses for Greater Legislative Relief: The Air Force plan to further meld its active and reserve components is driving a new effort to change legal barriers to the enterprise. USAF did get some legislative relief a couple of years ago to the prohibitions against putting Title 10 (federal-controlled) and Title 32 (state-controlled) personnel in the same unit. (Read about USAF’s blended wing here.) In the words of officials at the time, the law is “becoming less and less ambiguous.” Now, according to Maj. Gen. Frank Faykes, USAF budget director, the service is seeking additional changes via the 2007 defense budget request. Faykes said the ultimate goal of the proposed changes to legal statutes is to enable an Air National Guard or Air Force Reserve officer to command and train active duty personnel.
Amid a high-profile recruiting crisis, Air Force leaders and experts have increasingly noted the challenging long-term trends the service will face in enticing young Americans to sign up—decreasing eligibility to serve, less propensity to do so, and less familiarity with the military. But while those same leaders say there’s no “silver…