The Air Force is requesting $119 billion in its Fiscal 2012 baseline budget proposal released Monday, plus another $16.4 billion to support the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. That $135.4 billion for Air Force-specific programs grows to a total of $166.3 billion when factoring the $30.9 billion in joint initiatives—so-called “non-blue” spending—that receive funding from USAF accounts. The $135.4 billion blue request is $4.5 billion less than USAF’s Fiscal 2011 blue proposal of $140.4 billion. The majority of this difference is reflected in the decreased amount requested for overseas contingency operations since all airmen are expected to be out of Iraq by the end of the December. Of the $119 billion blue baseline request, 63 percent will be used to support day-to-day operations for airmen, such as the 1.2 million allocated flying hours, civilian pay, and restoration and support projects, said Maj. Gen. Alfred Flowers, USAF’s deputy assistant secretary for budget. Stay tuned for more budget coverage and continue on to CR Woes.
President Donald Trump’s nominee for Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff touted his highly unusual background for the job as an asset and reaffirmed his commitment to stay apolitical during a confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee on April 1.