Joint Basing Provision Raises McCain Ire

Joint Basing Provision Raises McCain Ire: Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), frequent Air Force critic and now presumed Republican candidate for President has instigated an investigation over whether senior Air Force officials had inappropriately assisted Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) and Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) in crafting a provision in the 2008 war supplemental that would outflank BRAC 2005 on the creation of joint bases, reports The Hill. The newspaper quotes a letter McCain sent Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England last month: "I believe it is inappropriate for senior Air Force officials to lobby legislators to delay or overturn BRAC decisions." To which England replied that DOD does not condone such actions and furthermore the Pentagon "strongly opposes" the provision. A spokesman for Inouye told The Hill that the two Senators want the Pentagon to "slow down and rethink the joint basing approach" because it may "create more problems than provide for military efficiency." The Air Force has the lead for six and is involved in 10 of the 12 joint bases identified in BRAC 2005. And, according to testimony last month before a Senate Appropriations subcommittee by Kathleen Ferguson, the Air Force's deputy assistant secretary for installations, the service has "expressed concern" over the proposed "execution strategy" that it feels might "impact mission." (Indeed, Air Force officials complained to Congress last year that the service needed more time to assess the impact.) However, she asserted that USAF "is not advocating any position that would inhibit carrying out any BRAC recommendations." Meanwhile, the Air Force is investigating the matter.

6/27/2008

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Appreciative Host
"I know you're here during a difficult time. You're here through Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's. I promise you, we will find turkeys."
—Republic of Lithuania Chief of Defence Maj. Gen. Arvydas Pocius, expressing his thanks to airmen of the 493rd Fighter Squadron from RAF Lakenheath, Britain, who on Sept. 1, 2010, began a four-month stint with their F-15s in Lithuania to protect the airspace of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania under NATO's Baltic air policing mission.

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Family Momentum
"In many ways, this was what the Year of the Air Force Family was all about—connecting airmen and their families with the resources they need. I have confidence the Air Force will capitalize on this strong momentum in the years ahead by continuing to improve our family support programs and ensuring people know what resources are available."
—Suzie Schwartz, wife of USAF Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz, commenting on the accomplishments of the Year of the Air Force Family initiative that concluded in July, in a statement provided to the Daily Report, Aug. 22, 2010.