The senior enlisted man for the Air National Guard, CMSgt. Richard Smith told the Guard and Reserve Commission that ANG airmen are serving in 27 countries, has responsibility for 90 percent of the US homeland air sovereignty mission, and flies more than a third of the missions in Southwest Asia. While Air Force Reserve Command’s top enlisted airman, CMSgt. Jackson Winsett noted that the Air Reserve Components fly 61 percent of the Air Force’s heavily used C-130 tactical airlift fleet. AFRC accounts for 35 percent of USAF’s C-5 aircrews, 34 percent of C-17 aircrews, and 43 percent of KC-10 aircrews. And, said Winsett, when it comes to aircraft maintainers, AFRC provides some 44 percent of the C-5 and 37 percent of the KC-10 workforce.
Three of four congressional committees with influence over defense policy have voted to change the official name of the Department of Defense to the Department of War—but final approval of the Pentagon rebrand is months away and not yet assured.