The Secretary of the Air Force opted not to follow the service’s optimal distribution of C-130s to gain short-term savings, according to a July 13 Government Accountability Office report. The Air Force’s six-year C-130 force structure report stated that shifting 10 C-130Js from Keesler AFB, Miss., to Little Rock AFB, Ark., was the “most cost effective and efficient” lay-down, but the Secretary’s amendment effectively canceled the move, according to GAO. “The planned transfer was canceled to prevent the short-term costs and turbulence the relocation would have created,” saving an estimated $24 million. Keeping the aircraft at Keesler will cost an estimated $60 million in personnel expenses there, and an additional $24 million to $48 million yearly at Little Rock, according to USAF figures. The Air Force originally planned to send Keesler’s J-models to Pope Field, N.C., to phase out legacy C-130Hs there, but opted to shutter Pope’s wing instead. Officials still plan to inactivate Pope’s 440th Airlift Wing at the end of this year, saving some $116 million through 2020, according to the report.
Upon assuming his new post, Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force David Wolfe prioritized high standards while pledging to ensure Airmen, of all specialties, get the equipment they need to project U.S. airpower.
