If the Air Force completely stopped flying its aircraft for two years it would only save enough money to pay for one year of sequestration, Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh explained in a recent video message to airmen. In the message, Welsh attempted to put the Air Force’s $12.5 billion per year sequester bill into context while explaining the impacts sequestration will have on the service. Welsh said that 55 percent of the Air Force’s budget is dedicated to paying its people. The remaining 45 percent goes towards “readiness, force structure, and modernization,” he said. “We have not been able to get at that first 55 percent at all” because the White House and Congress must first approve it. Therefore, “the entire bill to date, and in the foreseeable future, will be paid out of force structure, readiness, and modernization.” He thanked airmen for suggesting alternate ways to cover the costs of sequestration, and though he said some of those suggestions will be implemented, all together they still would only save a few million dollars each year, not billions. “We’re working hard to fix it, but there’s going to be tough choices that have to be made,” he said.
US Space Command Should Always Be Led by a Guardian
Sept. 12, 2026
General Stephen Whiting took command of U.S. Space Command in January 2024, and if customary three-year tenures hold, his tour would end in January 2027. The question now before the President and Senate is who should follow him? Whoever they choose, it has to be a Guardian—and so should every successor…
