AF to stand down units due to budget cuts...

[tbarlow]

Now the question is how much grass are they going to mow and spend on paint. That is what we did back in the 80's at the end of each budget year...


http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123343661

Air Combat Command stands down units due to budget cuts

Posted 4/9/2013 Updated 4/9/2013 Email story Print story

Share

4/9/2013 - LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. (AFNS) -- Air Force officials will begin to stand down active-duty combat units starting April 9 to ensure the remaining units supporting worldwide operations can maintain sufficient readiness through the remainder of the fiscal year.

The stand down is the result of cuts to Air Combat Command's operations and maintenance account, which must be implemented in part by flying approximately 45,000 fewer training hours between now and Oct 1.

As the Air Force's lead for Combat Air Forces, ACC manages the flying-hour programs for four major commands. This decision to stand down or curtail operations affects about one-third of the active-duty CAF aircraft -- including those assigned to fighter, bomber, aggressor and airborne warning and control squadrons -- stationed in the U.S., Europe and the Pacific.

"We must implement a tiered readiness concept where only the units preparing to deploy in support of major operations like Afghanistan are fully mission capable," said Gen. Mike Hostage, the ACC commander. "Units will stand down on a rotating basis so our limited resources can be focused on fulfilling critical missions."

"Historically, the Air Force has not operated under a tiered readiness construct because of the need to respond to any crisis within a matter of hours or days," Hostage said. "The current situation means we're accepting the risk that combat airpower may not be ready to respond immediately to new contingencies as they occur."

Some units currently deployed -- including A-10 Thunderbolt IIs, B-1 Lancers, F-16 Fighting Falcons and F-22 Raptors -- will stand down after they return from their deployments. The remaining units will stand down operations on April 9. Active-duty aircrews assigned to Air Force Reserve or Air National Guard A-10 or F-16 squadrons under an arrangement known as "active associations" will also stop flying.

[neurotech]

Wouldn't it be great if the Air Force had all the money they needed for flying, and the Wall Street banks had to hold a bake sales to bail themselves out.

$700bn would pay for a lot of F-35s and flight time.