Today, US Strategic Command can execute its assigned responsibilities under the budget continuing resolution and the sequester, said Gen. Robert Kehler, who heads the command. However, “I am concerned that I may not be able to say the same in six months or a year,” Kehler told the House Armed Services Committee on March 5. He said the current hiring freeze and the upcoming furloughs are “troubling” to his civilian workforce, as civilians comprise 60 percent of his headquarters staff at Offutt AFB, Neb. Many of these employees have critical expertise in fields like intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance and maintenance and sustainment of strategic systems, said Kehler. While the Air Force is protecting flight hours for the nuclear-capable bomber force so that the aircrews remain certified “as long as possible,” the nuclear deterrence mission will eventually be affected if Congress does not address the fiscal issues, he said. The budget situation will also impact growth in areas such as cyber defense, noted Kehler. And, over time, STRATCOM’s most-experienced professionals will decide to retire early and younger talent will be discouraged from pursuing a career, he said. “We are detecting hints of that now,” he said. (Kehler’s prepared statement)
The Air Force is shoring up its cyber defenses both on and off base for critical infrastructure such as water and electrical power, and industry experts are calling for more, even specialized, dedicated microgrids offsite to support USAF operations in case of a total blackout caused by cyberattacks.
