Air Force seeks to cut 492 Iowa Air Guard jobs

The Air Force today asked Congress today to eliminate 492 positions with the Des Moines-based 132nd, a 39 percent reduction in staffing, according to members of Iowa’s congressional delegation who received briefings from Pentagon officials.

Air Force officials said last month they want to eliminate all 21 F-16 combat aircraft in Des Moines, but they didn’t immediately provide specifics about future staffing levels. The Air Force said it recommended that a unit be established in the future at the Des Moines airport to remotely control unmanned combat aircraft. But the drone aircraft wouldn’t be based in Des Moines. Instead, the aircraft would probably be located outside of the United States.

Today’s announcement calls for eliminating 761 positions related to losing the F-16 aircraft, while gaining 239 positions by establishing an MQ-1/9 Remote Squadron at the Des Moines Air Guard Base. There would also be a gain of 34 positions from an Air National Guard “readiness offset.” Overall strength at the Des Moines Air Guard Base would be reduced from 1,250 to 758 personnel, including full-time and part-time Guardsmen and civilian employees.

Congress will have the final say on the matter, and members of Iowa’s congressional delegation have vowed to battle the Air Force’s proposal. Forty-nine of the nation’s governor’s last week signed a letter criticizing the Air Force’s plan, saying the cuts in the Guard would be disproportionate to reductions facing full-time Air Force units. The reductions have also been criticized by National Guard leaders nationwide, including Maj. Gen. Tim Orr, adjutant general of the Iowa National Guard.

The Air Force has proposed eliminating $8.7 billion in spending, while retiring 303 aircraft worldwide. The overall Pentagon budget would slash nearly $32 billion in annual appropriations.

Supporters of the Air Guard said it is much less costly to operate than full-time Air Force units and it has more experienced pilots and aircraft maintenance personnel. Guard officials have said the Air Guard provides 35 percent of the Air Force’s capability for 6 percent of the budget.

Sen.Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, issued a statement today in response to the Air Force’s announcement:

“Reversing this decision will take a concerted effort by National Guard advocates in Congress. So far, the effort has been significant, and there will be an opportunity to determine a different outcome when annual legislation to authorize defense spending is considered later this year.

““Fiscal responsibility and stewardship dictate that the Air Force should use a cost-benefit analysis that looks at the strengths and weaknesses of the active and reserve forces. It’s not clear that such a process has been used, and the Air Force needs to account for its approach.”

Gov. Terry Branstad said the cuts would l dramatically alter the ability of the National Guard to respond to emergencies and protect citizens, such as the levee monitoring activities last summer along the Missouri River.

As co-chair of the Council of Governors, Branstad said he is leading a nationwide effort on behalf of the nation’s governors to ensure that the complete value of the National Guard is reflected in national policy and the Pentagon budget. Branstad also said he is very appreciative of the initial response of the Iowa congressional delegation and will continue to work with Members of Congress, fellow governors, their adjutants general and the Air Force to find alternative solutions to maximize capabilities at the lowest possible cost.

“We can best manage and execute responses to emergencies, and better protect our citizens here at home and abroad by empowering the National Guard,” Branstad said. “To cut this efficient, low-cost, and effective response force in the name of cost savings is short-sighted. We should rely on the National Guard more, not less.”

Rep. Dave Loebsack, D-Iowa, a member of the House ArmeServices Committee, said, “Today’s announcement is nothing short of appalling. The Iowa Air National Guard’s 132nd Fighter Wing is one of the most experienced and best performing fighter wings in the Air Force. In this time of economic hardship, I have called on the Air Force to fully explain how they would plan on supporting the men and women and the families of those whose jobs would be eliminated under their proposal. I will continue to fight against any budget proposal that negatively affects the Iowa Air National Guard.”

Air Force officials, in a recent guidance memo announcing plans to eliminate F-16s in Des Moines,said Guard and Reserve forces have been a “superb investment.” But an Air Force analysis concluded that active-duty Air Force units have been reduced to the point that further reductions would limit the nation’s ability to respond quickly to multiple crises or to sustain long commitments without asking active-duty Guard and Reserve forces to deploy at rates that cannot be sustained by airmen and their families.

Maj. Gen. Edward Bolton Jr., deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for budget, told reporters at a recent Pentagon briefing: “We understand that the Air Force must do its part to reduce spending and have made the difficult choices necessary to achieve those savings. We firmly believe this is not a choice between national security and fiscal responsibility, and this budget starts the transformation of the Air Force in support of a new defense strategy constrained by limited resources.”

Central Iowa business and government leaders have rallied around the 132nd Fighter Wing, promising to employ a lobbying strategy with Congress that emphasizes the experience and the cost-effectiveness of the Des Moines Guard unit. A group of about 20 local leaders met in February at the Des Moines airport with Maj. Gen. Orr and U.S. Rep. Leonard Boswell, D-Iowa, a former Army helicopter pilot whose district includes the Des Moines unit.

The 132nd Fighter Wing has a proud tradition dating to 1941 with the establishment of the 124th Observation Squadron in Des Moines. The wing has 332 airmen who work full time, while the rest of its members are traditional part-time Guardsmen. About a fourth of the unit is now deployed in Afghanistan.

The fiscal 2013 President’s Budget adjusts Air Force military end strength to 501,000, with net reductions of 3,900 Active Duty, 5,100 Air National Guard and 900 Air Force Reserve billets.

According to the Air Force Chief of Staff, the Air Force’s strategy is to apply resources to the people, programs, and systems that will best contribute to the new DoD strategic guidance.

“Working with our Guard and Reserve leaders, we used a balanced approach to adjust our Total Force end strength while maintaining the ability to execute strategic guidance,” Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz said. “Our Total Force programmed reductions follow detailed assessments of future conflict scenarios and rotational requirements consistent with the new strategic guidance.”

Here are comments issued today by other members of Iowa’s congressional delegation in response to the announcement:

U.S. SEN. TOM HARKIN, D-IOWA:
“Calling for the elimination of this many jobs from our states is nothing short of unconscionable — particularly given the countless missions and deployments that have been made over the last decade. The 132nd Fighter Wing in Des Moines has been recognized as one of the top performing units in the country. It simply makes no sense to take away its mission and cut it so deeply. To date, the Air Force has failed to satisfactorily answer a single question posed about this decision since rumors of this proposal first surfaced. The Air Force has failed to demonstrate the cost-effectiveness of cutting so deeply into the guard and reserve personnel, decommissioning the 132nd Fighter Wing, or any other guard unit or the impact any of it will have on local communities. The National Guard and Reserve provide a great benefit to the nation at a lower cost than the active component. They work seamlessly alongside the active military when called to duty, while also remaining flexible and ready to help at home when needed in crisis or natural disaster. Now that Congress has the Air Force’s full proposal, I will consult with the rest of the Iowa delegation on our next steps to address our concerns.”

REP. TOM LATHAM, R-IOWA:
“The elimination of nearly 500 positions within the Iowa National Guard’s 132nd F-16 Fighter Wing is painful news for the regional economy and, especially, the men and women who depend on those jobs to support themselves and their families. The justification given for eliminating these positions has been vague and imprecise, and it’s become apparent that a sound cost-benefit analysis did not factor into the decision.

“It is irresponsible to design the nation’s entire Air Force structure by jamming together pieces of a puzzle that just don’t fit. The 132nd Fighter Wing counts among its ranks some of the most experienced F-16 pilots and maintainers in the force, with around four times the amount of flying time and years of experience as their active duty counterparts. The fighter wing has served our country with distinction and honor. We owe it to the American people to scrap this misguided plan and start over with a process that promises the result of an accountable plan based on truths, real facts, solid data, and maintaining the capabilities that are key to our national security in the years ahead.”

REP. STEVE KING, R-IOWA:
“At a time when the American people are demanding that their tax dollars be stretched as far as possible, it makes no sense to cut the National Guard,” said King. “The Guard is an extremely effective and efficient component of our nation’s military, and Iowa’s Guard units are among the best in the country. The Air Force still has much to explain about the basis for its decision to remove the 132nd’s F-16s and the nearly 500 positions that go with them, and I will continue to work with my colleagues in the House, Senators Grassley and Harkin, and Governor Branstad to demand answers and action.”