Educate Advocate Support Air Force Association 1 Why AFA is important to our Air Force Dave Dietsch Vice Chairman, Field Operations Air Force Association

Educate Advocate Support High School Army ROTC 2

Educate Advocate Support AFROTC circa

Educate Advocate Support 13 Months Later 4

Educate Advocate Support Career Highlights 5 Commanded 4 Maintenance/Munitions Squadrons Aircraft Maintenance/Munitions Staff officer HQ TAC AF Logistics Management Center Tactical Fighter Wing DCM Production Division Chief OCALC DCS Logistics 13 AF

Educate Advocate Support USAF Forces in Approximately 4000 fighters (Active Units) 115 TFS (40/43/35) 20 Engaged in combat in Vietnam Approximately 800 Tactical Airlifters (C- 130/C-123/C-7) 35 TAS (15/16/3) 15 Engaged in combat in Vietnam

Educate Advocate Support Aircraft Inventory 1991 Total Aircraft active and reserve 9,369 – Fighters 3,936 – Bombers 290 – Tankers 633 – Cargo 1,213 – Active Duty Personnel 600,000 + or -

Educate Advocate Support Aircraft Inventory 2016 Total Aircraft active and reserve 5,433 – Fighters 1,962 (-51%) – Bombers 159 (-45%) – Tankers 497 (-22%) – Cargo 762 (-38%) – Active Duty Personnel 315,000 (-48%)

Educate Advocate Support What has changed? Technological Changes Stealth Digital vs Analog technology GPS enabled Munitions Persistent real time ISR UAV technology Cyber warfare

Educate Advocate Support What has changed? 10 Geopolitical Changes Mono-polar world Rise of non-state threats Fluid battle lines Proliferation of weaponry Global movement and communications Sophisticated tools readily available Social Media warfare

Educate Advocate Support What Hasn’t changed? Pressure to reduce defense spending is straining capability for mission success Reduced force structure continues to force greater operational tempo Reserve & Guard no longer “strategic reserve” World events often result in unpredictable operational requirements

Educate Advocate Support Simultaneously Air Force inventory oldest and smallest since before WW II Aging aircraft fleet requires more sustainment both in the field and at the Depots New systems in line F-35 –KC-46 – B-21 are nascent programs, and may face cuts Demand for Air Force capabilities continues to grow

Educate Advocate Support As a Result Readiness is down while potential threats are up Current posture is slewed toward “low intensity” conflict in a permissive environment Current force numbers don’t project a credible deterrent But Army, Navy, and Marine plans and operations require Air, Space, and Cyber Supremacy

Educate Advocate Support Twenty Five Years of War Current operations tempo strains the resiliency of our airmen and their families Equipment/munitions usage far outstrips that planned during acquisition Yet Replacement of that equipment moves more slowly every year Spare parts and upgrades are “first on the chopping block”

Educate Advocate Support What is AFA Doing 15 Educate Through the Airpower Advocates in our Chapters Through our Strategic communications Subcommittee on the Field Council Through our Op Ed series Through the Mitchell Institute At our major Symposia (DC and Orlando)

Educate Advocate Support What is AFA Doing 16 Advocate Through our Congressional “Fly-ins” Through local Chapter contact with Congress and their staffs Through the Advocacy subcommittee of the Field Council Through the efforts of our Chapter Airpower Advocates

Educate Advocate Support What is AFA Doing 17 Support Through our local Chapter programs Through our Wounded Airman Program Through our participation in the Military Coalition Through our Airman & Spouse Scholarship Programs Through our STEM Education Programs CYBERPATRIOT & STELLARXPLORERS

Educate Advocate Support Why I’m an AFA Member 18 The military is becoming ”disconnected” from society at large Much smaller force Lack of public exposure/understanding Lack of Congressional experience Victims of our own success View that we are somehow “entitled” to military supremacy because we’re the “good guys”

Educate Advocate Support Why I’m an AFA Member 19 AFA provides the “connective tissue” Provides professional development Advocates for appropriate resources –Modern force structure –Appropriate pay & benefits Helps develop a technologically capable workforce “Keeps the gang together”

Educate Advocate Support And you get to meet heroes 20 Airman Spencer Stone Apollo 13 Flight Director Gene Krantz WW II Fighter Pilot Jerry Yellin

Educate Advocate Support Air Force Association Questions and Comments