Air Guard Prepared for Pentagon Cost Scrub

With the air reserve components now irrevocably linked to the air expeditionary force construct, Air National Guard Director Lt. Gen. Harry Wyatt III noted Monday that the same recapitalization problems facing the active Air Force are now being faced by the reserve forces. He said that the concept of “concurrent recapitalization” is now even more important because the alternative is not a choice the nation can afford. Wyatt believes, too, that although the Air Guard should fare well in ongoing funding arguments—largely because of its relatively light footprint and demonstrated expertise—that some of the active-reserve mix proposals being entertained in some 12 studies currently circulating in the Pentagon “greatly concern me.” For instance, he noted there is one white paper that states the Guard is on a 1:19 deploy-to-dwell cycle, a claim he maintained has little resemblance to reality. “We need to pay attention to the sources and agendas of the people putting these out,” declared Wyatt.