Air Force Secretary Michael Donley said the Total Force will continue to remain a priority even as the service moves into a contentious budget environment. Today, 58 percent of combat forces are on active duty, but 42 percent are Air Force reservists. The majority of mobility airmen—51 percent—are reservists, while 49 percent are active duty, said Donley at AFA’s Air & Space Conference at National Harbor near D.C., Monday. “I am proud of the way the Total Force is working together,” said Donley, who added that USAF needs to continue to improve the relationships between the active duty Air Force and its Air Reserve Components. “It’s all about balance,” he said.
The Pentagon plans to use U.S. Air Force C-17s and C-130s to deport 5,400 people currently detained by Customs and Border Protection, officials announced Jan. 22, the first act in President Donald Trump’s sweeping promise to crack down on undocumented immigrants and increase border security.