In a new Letter to Airmen, Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne writes that Air Force, Air National Guard, and Air Force Reserve Command “training and operations make it impossible to differentiate between the three components.” He goes on to note that the days of the “strategic reserve” are gone and adds, “our total force sacrifices daily through extended deployments in the most challenging missions we have.” Wynne’s bottom line: “Total Force has moved from a future concept to today’s reality.”
National Guard adjutants general from nearly two dozen states have signed a letter to Congress seeking multiyear funding for the Air Force to purchase between 72 and 100 new fighter jets per year to modernize the total force.The letter, sent to Congress last week, stresses the need for the Air…