The da
ta for recruiting for the first month of the new fiscal year is good across the board for the Air Force. The active duty, Air National Guard, and Air Force Reserve Command all made 100 percent, or better, for October. In fact, the Air Guard, which struggled for much of last fiscal year, achieved 134 percent of its goal, bringing in 818 recruits against a goal of 609. The Army National Guard also exceeded its goal, reaching 123 percent, to be the second highest for the month. All components made or bettered their monthly goal.
The roles and missions executed by Air Force warriors are essential to the nation’s security. Yet after three decades of constant demand and minimal replenishment, our Air Force is too small and too old. It needs to be rebuilt. The Trump administration and Congress must fund that modernization to ensure…