Air Force Reserve Command plans to bring more F-16 pilots to Shaw AFB, S.C., in Fiscal 2008 to boost its Reserve Associate program with Shaw’s 20th Fighter Wing. An AFRC news release mentions that Shaw is to be home to the new F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, so establishing an even stronger Reserve presence could be a build up for that new system. The release said only that the move was part of USAF’s Total Force Integration. AFRC commander, Lt. Gen. John A. Bradley, said, “Associate units make good business sense because they capitalize on the experience and skills of Reservists, many of whom were on active duty before joining the Air Force Reserve.”
The emphasis on speed in the Pentagon’s newly unveiled slate of acquisition reforms may come with increased near-term cost increases, analysts say. But according to U.S. defense officials, the new weapons-buying construct provides the military with enough flexibility to prevent runaway budget overruns in major programs.
