Military Brief Spring/Summer 2012

A Message From The MAC Chairman:

On January 2, 2013, unless the President and the congress act to stop it, the Pentagon faces the prospect of $500 billion in additional cuts over the next decade. This is all due to the fact that in 2011 the congress could not agree on $1.2 trillion in spending cuts and/or tax increases over the coming decade. The Budget Control Act passed last year contained a provision in the bill that stated if the congress could not agree with the needed revenues and taxes to reduce the growing deficit, there would be automatic reductions to defense spending amounting to some $500 billion and another $500 billion reduction to entitlement spending over the next ten years. This would be in addition to the $450 billion in defense spending already enacted. Quoting Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, "What they did was to put a gun to their heads and to the head of the country,  and basically say if they could not come up with a plan to reduce the deficit, that the sequester process (automatic spending cuts) would go into effect." If congress and the President allow this to happen, it will be devastating to our national defense.

These military spending cuts would be occurring at a time when China is expanding its military capability and Russia is modernizing its forces. I am told that there is a bi-partisan group of 30 members in congress that are working behind the scenes to come up with a plan before January 2, 2013 to repeal sequestration. Unfortunately, the majority in Washington are still focused on saving their own slices of pork; they are ignoring the bigger issue and that is responsibly funding  the security of our Nation. Defense funding needs to be based on the actual threats this country faces in the coming years and not on playing childish political games with the budget and our national security. I urge you to contact your senators and members of congress on this important matter and let them know where you stand.

Don Salter, Chairman
Santa Rosa Economic Alliance Military Affairs Committee

F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF)

As of May 2012, Eglin AFB has received 12 variants of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. There are currently six F-35A models (USAF version) and six F-35B models (Marines) on the base. The F-35C models (Navy) are expected to arrive in late 2012. Flying training has already commenced with 55 sorties having been flown. The final number of F-35's to be based at Eglin AFB is programmed to be 59.

AFSOC Stands Up Special Tactics Wing At Hurlburt Field

The Air Force Special Operations Command activated the 24th Special Operations Wing in ceremonies at Hurlburt Field on June 12. The new wing will be responsible for airfield reconnaissance, assessment and control. The air commandos will engage in joint terminal attack control, personnel recovery, weather and environmental reconnaissance. This special tactics career field is among the most dangerous and most decorated career fields in the Air Force due to the missions they perform. Welcome 24SOW!

Air Armament Center Reorganization At Eglin AFB

In November 2011, the USAF's Air Materiel Command (AMC) announced a reorganization plan that would eliminate the Air Armament Center and reduce the two-star billet to a one star. That decision, at the urging of the Defense Support Initiative (DSI), a three county military advocacy group located in Fort Walton Beach, was challenged by Representative Jeff Miller and Senators Bill Nelson and Marco Rubio. As a result, on June 7, 2012 , the USAF announced that Major General Kenneth Merchant will be retained in place and assigned as Program Executive Officer for Weapons, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Air Materiel Command, Eglin AFB. According to Jim Breitenfeld, DSI Manager, "This would not have happened without Congressman Miller's leadership and the work of his Florida colleagues in the House and Senate".

BRAC To Be Delayed

Earlier this year Defense Secretary Leon Panetta announced intentions for another round of Base Realignment and Closures (BRAC) for 2013 and 2015. In late March some of us participated in the annual NW Florida Defense Coalition visit to Washington DC where we learned that congress will not entertain another BRAC round until 2015 at the earliest. However, all indications are that another BRAC is likely at some point in the future. With a future BRAC in mind, the Florida Defense Support Task Force, an entity created by Governor Scott and the Florida legislature in 2011 to protect bases throughout the state, engaged The Spectrum Group, a defense consulting firm in Washington DC, to perform a statewide analysis of all 17 major military installations in Florida and surrounding military communities, to determine their readiness for another BRAC.

The Navy Team met with community leaders from Santa Rosa County on June 5, 2012 in Milton to learn of our efforts to prevent encroachment around NAS Whiting Field (NASWF) and the six Navy Outlying Landing Fields in Santa Rosa County. The following day the team met with the leadership at NASWF and received the Command Brief and a base tour. Hopefully we will not only learn what we are doing right but just as importantly, what we can do going forward to better protect NASWF in the next BRAC. The final report with recommendations will be presented to Governor Scott and the Florida Defense Support Task Force in the fall.

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