Typically, reserve forces would be the first on the chopping block as the Defense Department looks to make large-scale resource adjustments. However, that approach would lead to a less capable fighting force and ultimately higher long-term costs, warns Lt. Gen. Charles Stenner, Air Force Reserve chief, in the new white paper, Total Force Policy 21: A 21st Century Framework for Military Force Mix Decisions. Stenner argues that reducing the reserve force to “preserve” the active duty component would essentially eliminate a cadre of experienced personnel in exchange for a new batch of less experienced ones. That, he says, would result in the “immediate reduction in combat capability.” Indeed, reserve forces are “ready, available, and accessible to fulfill operational requirements,” all for a “significantly lower cost than full-time active duty forces,” says Stenner, who prepared this paper in support of DOD’s review of the reserve component’s future role.
Boeing Claims Progress on T-7 and Other Challenged Programs
April 25, 2025
Boeing appears to have become to overcome the problems that led to billions in losses on fixed-price defense contracts in recent years, point the company back toward profitabily, says Boeing president and CEO Kelly Ortberg.