Military

STATEMENT OF: MAJOR GENERAL PAUL A. WEAVER, JR.

    DIRECTOR, AIR NATIONAL GUARD

    HEADQUARTERS, UNITED STATES AIR FORCE

SUBJECT:  FY 2002 AIR NATIONAL GUARD PERSONNEL PROGRAMS

 18 JULY 2001

Mr. Chairman and Members of the committee.  Thank you for the opportunity to appear before this committee -- on behalf of the 108,000 proud men and women of the Air National Guard – to share the successes and challenges facing us over the next year and beyond.  This new century has generated for many, including the Air National Guard, a time and opportunity to contemplate, plan and prepare for the future needs of our nation’s, states’, and communities defense.

With only six percent of the nation's population under 60 who have military experience, Air Guard warriors are increasingly the military man or woman in uniform that most American’s see. In fact, these proud Air Guard men and women are more and more the military presence seen abroad in support of CINC and service requirements. Daily, they are "shaping" strategic environments while demonstrating to others the vital role an individual citizen plays in our country’s military defense.

 The Air National Guard is represented in all 54 states and territories by 88 Flying Wings; 579 Mission Support Units, with over 108,000 proud and skilled people – 68 percent of whom are Traditional Guard volunteers – flying nearly 1200 aircraft.  We are significantly represented in nearly all Air Force mission areas contributing over 34 percent of the Air Force operational mission for as little as 7.2 percent of the budget.

 Over the last decade, the Air National Guard has significantly changed --in both relevance and accessibility – but most significantly – in skill, professionalism and volunteer participation.  Since 1990, the Air National Guard contributions to sustained operations have increased significantly.  We are no longer a ‘force in reserve’, but are around the world partnering with our Active and Reserve components as the finest example of Total Force integration.  ANG support to all USAF contingency operations over the last decade has increased from 24 to 34 percent of the Total Force aircraft employed.  The number of Active Duty days per ANG member (above the 39-day obligation) has increased on the average from 5 to 16 – all based on the volunteerism of our dedicated citizen airmen. 

The Air National Guard is the most relevant, ready, and accessible reserve component in the Department of Defense today. Since the end of the Cold War, these forces have been increasingly deployed in support of the full range of operations.   In Cycle 1 of the Aerospace Expeditionary Force (AEF), the Air National Guard deployed 25,000 of its people -- nearly 24 percent -- almost 2,500 per AEF.  We contributed almost 20 percent of the Total Force aviation package and 7 percent of the Expeditionary Combat Support requirements. The Air National Guard contributed 42 percent of the C-130 intra-theatre lift and 22 percent of the KC-135 steady state air refueling AEF requirement. Of the Air Guard's 37 combat-coded fighter units, all 6 A-10 units, all 6 F-15 units, nearly all were aligned during Cycle 1 rotations.  Air National Guard contributions to the Total Force will be even more robust in EAF Cycle 2, when every combat-coded ANG fighter unit is aligned to participate, including eight Air Guard Precision Guided Munitions or PGM equipped units.   In Cycle 2, a total of 22 ANG F-15 and F-16 units will fly the air superiority mission. 

Yes, we are busy. Our people are volunteering above Desert Storm peak levels with nearly 75 percent of our total workdays supporting CINC and Service requirements around the world.  Our men and women are proud of their contributions as most of “real world” missions they support reduce the TEMPO requirements on our active component by at least
10-15 percent in almost every major mission area.

This unprecedented contribution by your Air National Guard has occurred all at a time when we have reduced our endstrength numbers to 1984 levels. The bottom line: In 30 months – or two complete cycles of the AEF – nearly half the Air National Guard will know first hand what it means to be an expeditionary Aerospace Force.  These same warriors will take this experience and knowledge back to their communities, families, employers, and local and state political leaders.  They will help the Air Force and the nation immeasurably in building understanding and support for a strong and ready Aerospace Force.

We provide this exceptional capability because we all trained well. This year, we filled nearly 700 "extra" technical training slots -- over and above the Trained Personnel Requirements (TPR).  We ensured almost an entire additional ANG wing’s worth of better-trained warriors. This year, so far, we’ve increased this technical training number to well over 1,000, and increased our Basic Military Training (BMT) allocation by well over 900.  But we are concerned that BMT capability is maxed out for the Total Force.  This has serious implications to the ANG as we increasingly recruit non-prior service members.

The Air National Guard received 186 undergraduate pilot training slots in Fiscal Year 2001, up 13 from the previous year.  The projected pilot shortage for most of the next decade makes it imperative to increase the pipeline flow to help sustain the Guard’s combat readiness—especially as we assimilate more non-prior service individuals as a function of our overall recruiting effort.

In addition, we are pushing for increased utilization of Distance Learning methods for training requirements that reduce the burdens of time, travel and expense for our people -- and compete with AEF commitments.  The Air National Guard Warrior Network now reaches more than 202 sites throughout the nation and broadcasts training from 3 major training centers.  In addition, the Air Force and Air Force Reserve now share the same satellite system.  This gives us expanded access to mutual training programs.  Our expeditionary requirements demand new approaches.

It is because of the exceptional people in our units that we continue to overcome these challenges.  While we’ve put more on our members’ plates, we’ve done it smart and with attention to bonuses, grade relief, grade enhancements, and employer and family support.

Our current economic and recruiting climate has caused us to be more aggressive in our approach to recruit and retain quality members to support mission requirements.  Our recruiting successes are a direct result of additional resources and initiatives, and heavy involvement by Adjutants General, Commanders and the members themselves.  One of the major challenges facing our recruiters today is the shrinking pool of active duty accessions resulting in an increased reliance on non-prior service recruits.  This increases the need for formal school training allocations including BMT, follow-on Distributed Learning, and Distributed Mission Training applicants.  To counter the increased reliance on non-prior service recruits, we will utilize additional authorizations as in-service recruiters at every active duty Air Force base.  This will offer the newly separated individuals a chance to remain in uniform while increasing the Guard’s experience base and decreasing the shortfalls. 

With your assistance last year for advertising funds, we were able to implement our first-ever targeted paid media national advertising campaign, to include TV, radio, and billboard ads in regional and national periodicals.

We take great pride in the fact that our retention figures for the past five years’ average in the 92 plus percentile.  Additional future recruiting and retention programs include enhanced high school presence by use of greatly expanded internet exposure, establishing retention focus groups across the five regions to identify root causes for staying or leaving, and maximizing current incentive programs. 

The Air National Guard Incentives and Entitlements Programs are designed as a monetary motivator to support units’ critical manning requirements of skills that are severely or chronically undermanned.  For critical skills, we offer maximum incentives and have increased the number of career field specialties eligible for incentives and entitlements.  We’ve succeeded in our efforts to offer Aviator Continuation Pay (ACP) to eligible Active Guard and Reserve (AGR) pilots who agree to stay with us for three years at $15,000 per year, or five years at $25,000 per year.   What we’re tackling now is the Aviator Career Incentive Pay (ACIP) and Career Enlisted Flight Incentive Pay rates for our traditional guard aviators who deserve appropriate equity for the participation levels they sustain. 

Control Grade relief at the unit level provides the additional boost required to support our full-time AGR force.  We had over 350 deserving people awaiting promotions.  Thanks to your legislative efforts last year, we achieved success this fiscal year.  The relief increased grades for both officer and enlisted personnel and, through a domino affect, should help to alleviate the pressing problem.  Through all these efforts, we made a difference for an Air National Guard force of seasoned warriors who deserve no less and are committed to more. 

As the Air National Guard has become a total expeditionary aerospace partner, we are finding an increasing need for viable and sustainable external support for our members.  Our readiness, retention, and volunteerism depend on our families’ sense of belonging and participation, and on our employers’ education and support. 

Last year’s focus on the “Year of the Family”, coupled with the sustained AEF rotations, brought to the forefront the need for a formal family support program.   We have many outstanding volunteers who give consistently and unselfishly.  Volunteers like Mrs. Cindy Whitney, the spouse of a Maine Air National Guard member and first Air National Guard recipient of the National Military Family Association “Very Important Patriot” Award, support our families at home while their loved ones are deployed with the AEF cycle. 

However, when we researched how Air Force and Air Force Reserve Command handled this requirement, we found some very interesting and telling information.  The Air Force currently allocates through their Family Support Center staff and operating budgets alone, $125.00 per member; Air Force Reserve Command – programmed in the Air Force POM since Desert Storm – spends $58.00 per member with an expected increase to $70.00.  The Air National Guard last year took $750,000 out-of-hide to provide a $7.00 per member allocation using additional duty staff or unpaid, overburdened volunteers.  This was only a token solution.

In this year’s budget the Air National Guard proposes supporting a full-time contract family readiness coordinator at each unit.  This full-time dedicated contract capability will give the wings and states the help they need to support our nearly 350,000 family members. This proposal does not change any part of the existing National Guard Bureau Family Program structure except to add dedicated capability to the wing levels. 

Under the great leadership of Major General Paul Sullivan of Ohio, we’ve brought together an Integrated Process Team (IPT) to develop childcare alternatives based on demographic needs at the unit level.  This IPT has moved forward at breakneck speed.  This past January, the Air Force sent out a letter to all their childcare centers permitting children of National Guard members to participate when space is available.  This includes the extended hour program that can be used for drill weekends.  All Department of Defense childcare facilities are being asked to do the same.

Phase 2 is a pilot program that will authorize us to buy down the cost of civilian childcare for our Guard members at units not co-located with an active duty base.  This subsidy will be based on the Guard member’s total family income.  The pilot program will test both full-time and drill weekend childcare.  The pilot sites include Air National Guard bases in New York, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Idaho, West Virginia, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, Vermont, Arizona, Ohio, Mississippi, and Arkansas.

This past January, we began to focus on critical enablers and partners – the employers of our National Guard men and women.  The year 2001 has been designated “Year of the Employer”.  Over the last 10 years, employer awareness, understanding, and support have become vital to our ability to meet our requirements.  We must continue to strengthen our relationships to solidify our readiness and relevancy.  If our employers aren’t happy, our Guard men and women aren’t happy.  We need to make it easy and valuable for both to participate.  If we don’t, we lose a fundamental Air National Guard core competency – protection of our citizen-airman and soldier heritage. 

During the year, we have partnered with the National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (NCESGR) to ensure our employers remain satisfied with our “shared” people and their dedicated commitment to continued military service.  At the same time, we have an opportunity to increase the visibility of the military in the communities to help the Total Force bridge the growing civil-military gap.  In our effort to educate America’s employers, we educate a large community of leaders on the mission and values of military service. 

We’ve already taken large steps toward this goal.  We’ve made participation for today’s employers easier by AEF predictability and stability.  We’ve ensured a dedicated rotator to get our men and women to and from an AEF location.  We’ve identified employer support in our Strategic Plan.  We’ve taken the lead to establish a Reserve Component Airline Symposium where we meet with the nation’s airline industry’s chief pilots.  These are but a few of the initiatives taking hold as we focus on the ‘silent partner’ behind all of our men and women. 

The importance of the family and employers can best be summed up in the words of Jennifer Causey, the daughter of a Wyoming Air National Guard member, who wrote, “I think Guard families matter because productive members raise new generations of productive and proud Guard members.  They know what to do and the level of commitment it takes.  They know all the hard work that the Guard member goes through, not only on the job in their civilian occupation but also at the Guard and in their relationships at home.  They also know the pride and integrity it instills to be able to serve your country in a dual role as a military member and civilian community member.  I think if you are a Guard member, you should have a lot of self-respect.  You have earned it.”

Mr. Chairman, we in the Air National Guard are proud to serve this great nation as Citizen-Airmen.  Building the strongest possible Air National Guard is our most important objective.  Our people, readiness modernization programs and infrastructure supported through your congressional actions are necessary to help maintain the Air National Guard as the best reserve force. 

Mr. Chairman, we count on your support to continue meeting our mission requirements.  We are confident that the men and women of the Air National Guard will meet the challenges set before us.  I thank you for allowing me this opportunity to present to you the Air National Guard Personnel Programs.