Gen. Michael Moseley, Air Force Chief of Staff, already has flung a gauntlet, telling lawmakers earlier this month that the Air Force cannot have its budget raided to pay for enhancements to ground forces without incurring “significant risk.” And, if reports are true, the Navy is girding against a similar raid. Robert Work of the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments told reporters in Washington Wednesday that the Air Force and Navy are “very, very nervous,” reports Congress Daily’s Megan Scully. The question is: Does it really have to be “them or us?” As Air Force Magazine Editor in Chief Robert Dudney pointed out last month, “The true problem is the concept of ‘affordability,’ and the way in which official Washington defines it.” It’s time for a reality check.
Airmen and Guardians in the Active and Reserve component, as well as civilian employees, in “mission critical and high-risk populations” are now required to receive influenza vaccinations annually to “preserve force readiness,” according to a recent Department of the Air Force memo.