The Air Force’s proposed end-strength and force-structure adjustments in Fiscal 2013—which weigh more heavily on the reserve components—were necessary to meet the nation’s new defense strategy, absorb significant budget cuts, and keep rotational demands at acceptable levels, said Daniel Ginsberg, USAF’s assistant secretary for manpower and reserve affairs. “We had to reconcile topline reductions with the requirement to fulfill our global commitments and maintain acceptable levels of readiness, while still sustaining key quality-of-life and core services for our people,” he told the Senate Armed Services Committee’s personnel panel on April 25. Ginsberg acknowledged that the Air Force had “to make very hard choices.” But since it expects to have “a very high operational tempo over a long term,” it makes sense that more of the proposed reductions come from the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve, he said. “We’re concerned that if we got this balance wrong, that a member of the Guard and Reserve is going to have to deploy at an intensity that will just be unacceptable to them, and our airmen are going to walk with their feet,” he said. (Ginsberg-Jones joint statement)
2026 NDAA: 5 Highlights for Airmen and Guardians
Dec. 18, 2025
President Donald Trump signed the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act on Dec. 18, a day after Congress passed the annual defense policy bill for the 65th consecutive year. Here’s what it means for the Air Force and Space Force.
