your assessment of the normalization process, the f-16 cost of flying our? >> what has been going on for the last year almost is trying to come to agreement on apples-apples comparison between the two and numbers, by the program office, a lot of people involved in the discussion, we have normalized a couple numbers, $25,000 per flying hour for the f-16 model, 32 for the f-35. that may adjust itself as we decide what factors are in or out but that gives us an idea. that number is down from the original estimate which is a good thing and we're getting more practical database on sorties actually flying the airplane and over time that will give us a better feel for long-term costs. we are not in operation mode

yet. is the one test and we're starting training programs. that the estimates or like every airplane program that has a projected cost of support and sustain an. we don't know until we support and sustain it for a while. equipment that will help that process is being developed and once we get more fidelity on that we will have a better feel for what the airplane is going to cost. over here. >> i have a question. what is delivered to the air force. report to congress saying the cost, what it was about, my understanding is the air force has $487 million to -- the estimated deal offered a deal on the costs. is that something you are considering?

>> we have seen it. what i would describe as a complete offer or estimate of what the full cost would be. and there were operational implications from the proposal of using sensors, bringing down you 2s a using sensors to put on the global talks when they are operational, i will offer that this continues to be -- get close attention. it is an issue on the hill, continues to be debated inside the department and we continue to try to get the best fidelity and best understanding of cost and operational comparisons between the platforms. >> new york times. question about asia. even before the current sequestration and other problems with the budget a lot of people

in the analytical world said the put it to asia was rhetoric real -- without really. given downward pressures, how will that affect your plans and within that, clearly there's a problem not only in asia but adversaries improve their capabilities. what is your assessment of current still jamming, and 5 radiation missiles to deal with the problem, and do you need new technologies or new tactics? >> the tactical capabilities, at the theater level for the air force we are sustaining the structure and prisons across the asia-pacific that we have had for decades now so i will get numbers here to clarify but i will try to remember some of the

top of my head, between 43,000, 46,000 airmen, i want to say 9 to 12 bases will get your numbers but we continue to remain engaged and present forward in the asia pacific region. if you look at our high value assets, the f-22, where it is deployed, it's time in the theater, 60% of that capability is in and around the pacific theater at any given time. we have done routine theater security packages up and down the pacific, patrolled bombers in that region on a regular basis so this can't -- this work continues. the department has announced the first location overseas for the

f 35 would be in another area to take on those responsibilities. we are focused on potential 280 challenges and a number of theaters around the world, capabilities we are developing for more contested environments apply in a lot of places around world, in the middle east, in the gulf, potentially in asia, potentially in other areas as well. we are developing a more effective capability across the air force that will also be used in the asia pacific. >> the a 280 side. all it means is fred sensors, weapons systems are getting longer ranges and we have to worry about that globally. this is not a pacific only problem but with the pacific does do is make us look at the problem in terms of range. how do extend the range of

sensors, weapons systems, how you become more interconnected so you can plug into a network or system more sensor system that is already in place? that is what the 280 capabilities mean to the air force. we also need to look at things like speed that you asked about and how they affect killed change because that is the business we are in, disrupting or accelerating killed change whether we're talking about ours or theirs. speed compresses killed change. it makes it harder to execute. still confuseds uncomplicate skill change. they're good things. none of its stand-alone but we need to look at what those two things can do for us in the future as we modernize. big question is what does stealth really mean in 2035-24 the and how we move in the direction of having capabilities in that regard. on the rebound it points us toward developing capabilities in that environment.

in the pacific it may push us to develop new or strengthened existing partnerships because there are new and emerging partners available in the pacific and capabilities they are developing we can help them develop and learn from our partners and finally it pushes us 4 different training than we have been doing for the activities in the middle east, training for a much more contested environment, something we have to do to get back to full spectrum readiness. >> the air force is populated to support air power to the security forces. what kind of u.s. air force are you trying to have? >> i will let the chief address

that. one of the important missions is to train the afghani merging afghan air force. and afghanistan helping deliver the capabilities they need for the future. they are rebuilding, we are very interested in development of new pilots, have professional afghan air force going forward. they're coming up to the capability ramp and have shown increasing capabilities with the m i 17 in particular. we hope to get the c-130s into afghanistan by next year. >> i was in afghanistan a couple months ago and met the chief of the afghan air force and one of

the regional commanders and went to the training range. normal will be to continue to train the afghan air force as they develop into a force that can stand alone and support their security apparatus. how long we stay and what numbers will be determined by the commander in association with coalition leadership and u.s. leadership and we will be part of the solution. i will tell you this. i was struck by the talent level of the put force that was going through training. in particular -- there are number of afghan air force members with huge experience in things like the m i 17. one gentleman has 9,000 hours flying those that helicopter. that is a lot of flying time. expertise in executing the mission is not insignificant. most of the people who are being trained in the afghan air force don't have a lot of expertise in running and managing an air force so it is the larger the disciples for. infrastructure management, those

kind of things. much younger when the afghan air force was operating in the past. they're trying to learn that now. those things we will help over time. >> wanted to get a quick review of nuclear operations and large-scale understanding on the way right now. a snapshot of where things stand. >> the review nuclear operations written large? >> the exercise -- the issue of was 17, we had 19 crewmembers who were not on full missile crews status in the retraining program. four of those 19 of today were

reinstated. the others are progressing very well in the retraining program but haven't completed it. the leadership is happy with how that is going so far, happy with the effort crews were in the retraining process and the encouragement they're receiving from the rest of the missile crew force. the commander of global strike command has been involved in this from the very beginning. i as the commander of u.s. strategic command, i spoke in the first day we heard about this, the inspector general has been connected to the inspector general, one of the things that collaboration led to was during global strike command, exercise last week, they did no notice inspection on all of our missile units including just a look of the mall one more time. no one was expecting 5 to arrive and those inspections went very

well. and also selected to go out and do i minute man iii launch in california, and i was -- it was conducted and went exceedingly well. laugh of good news over the last couple weeks which has been good to see. >> you mentioned continued resistance to situations such as brac and other issues coming from congress. in terms of that specifically, a number of base facilities that were basically leading to upkeep and maintenance. the air force in that same situation and you see that pushed back coming from the hill on those brac issues contributing to that situation? >> we do have currently an impasse with congress on the way forward for brac so that needs to be worked. we estimate we have 20% of our

infrastructure that is excess and depending on the changes we have to make it there is a budget control act that continues with sequestration in the next decade we have more access capacity and probably a smaller air force and therefore excess capacity so we are working through those issues. i would just offer in this area, a structural adjustments, compensation as i mentioned in my remarks were three very difficult hot-button issues with congress right now. at the national level with congress, the department of defense, national leadership forward on the budget. we need a broader discussion with congress on strategic choices we are going to have to make to make sure we retain an

effective or capable military, maintain our role over the next ten years so we end up at 2023 and able to do the nation's business to do so. i don't think we have a consensus with congress, and what the choices were be. and the department and congress to have at the strategic level, and have to fight on every single individual issue that will come up. if sequestration does continue for the next decade, out of any event program. and strategic decisions over the

size of the military and the readiness we need to maintain and we will have tough decisions, and the modernization programs and base closures and all these things, it is important we have a strategic approach to this work. this is what the joint chiefs most want fort strategic level discussions and obviously with congress as they mark individual bills. and the challenge we were presenting to them. >> a quick follow up. given the consensus on congress and given these highly partisan environment in the hill right now do you think there's enough political room to reach the consensus that dod is looking

for to get past these issues. >> not yet. what we need is the alternative to the budget control act and we have to see and described the congress, the devastating impacts potentially of having to proceed with another $500 billion reduction over the next decade. that work is ongoing and the secretary will see that in the weeks ahead and i am sure congress has been asking for this information and at some point that information will be conveyed. we allowed congress to reach a budget agreement that sets those numbers for the next decade or so, helps frame what the military needs and we develop that plan, they need to buy into

the strategy of how to implement it and -- on these kinds of fundamental issues every single year, that is a recipe for hauling out the force because the military will try to build a balanced program that tries to save this kind of resource level you get about this size military and this size military is going to be ready to do these things and there has to be this much as part of that for modernizing the force, developing the capabilities we need in the decade ahead and the decade after that. it is that strategic approach that we will absolutely have to develop in concert with the congress and if we fail to do that we are running the risk of a hollow military. that is what will happen every single year, we will fight on

these individual issues, we will move hundreds of millions of this way, that way, start something we didn't plan on, we will be blocked from making the important changes we think need to be made and those things will produce a hollow military. >> you talk about defense department reprogramming impact it will have on the grounded combat squadrons and other aspects of the air force? >> our focus places $1.8 billion -- 1.8 -- the reprogramming. leaving these funds to address operational shortfalls for the remainder of this year. we will try to buy back some of

the readiness of units that are flying at a basic military capability, but we would like to take up to full combat mission readiness, try to buy back some of that. we still have some grounded units going forward. obviously we do not have the resources to buy back the furloughs. this was a challenging and difficult decision but we were able to get the furloughs down to 11 days, the secretary would like to revisit that later in the fiscal year to mitigate that further but the reprogramming is a big priority for the air force and the department and we asked for urgent congressional consideration. >> how many of them remain

grounded if they go through? >> this is ongoing work, we will try to use something for the record, some number we can provide but we do continue to revisit expenditures on a month-to-month basis there's a lot of focus on how to finish fiscal year 13 over the next four or five months, intense focus on that and help things into 15 but all the services you are dealing with severe shortfalls in their own accounts and the reprogrammings will not fix everything. we are very focused on that. >> step one is to take 7 squadrons of capability rates and bring them back up to full combat mission readiness. that is the first step. we are aggressively managing, literally we by squadrons date

today as money is reprogrammed, made available, we find savings of working capital fund, anything we can do to find money to put back into readiness we are doing so the number of squadrons will adjust itself up and down a little bit as we go, not in a meaningful way in less money appears from somewhere. >> one more question. what you do and the secretary -- >> both of you said there is a readiness crisis. is there a danger of that turning into the readiness crisis turning into a retention crisis, turning into a sort of the morale crisis? how does that worry you? and specifically, furloughs this year. are you looking at reductions to the force next year?

>> i think i have confidence right now that our airmen know and understand that we are working through a very severe financial constraints for fiscal year 13. it would be of concern to all of us if the readiness challenges we have today continuing to 14 or get worse in the future. there's a broad understanding as a chief outline the nation faces a challenges, dod will be part of solutions to get the nation's fiscal house in order. is very important that our airmen and military members have confidence not just in the defense leadership but the national leadership we are working through these issues and the congressman or president will settle on the resources that will be made available for defense and the defense leadership will have the

opportunity to make the right strategic decisions to shape the military going forward with whatever resources are made available. in the absence of that confidence, we would be worried how these overall impacts might affect the morale of our airmen in the months ahead. as the economy improves and there are opportunities for airman to depart or other military members to leave once they become issues we have specific areas like pilots wear me anticipate we have some shortages as airline, the demography of the airline pilot cohort changes so we are concerned about the number of pilots we have, areas like that we need to work very carefully,

but for this time period i am confident that our airmen understand we are going through an extraordinary time, very difficult decisions we don't want to make but we have the right focus to take care of our chairman, military and civilian as best we can in this situation. there is that understanding that it could get more difficult. we may ask more of them. they just need to have confidence the we have a good plan and the nation has a stable way forward in resource planning for defense. >> reduction -- >> talk about those issues at this point, just in terms of the need for a plan and the need for an agreement on budget etc.. in the personnel world you want as much time as possible in

order to plan for those things. our personnel managers are asking those questions. they would like to establish the correct ramp for military manpower and civilian land power, but the more time we have for that the better. [inaudible question] >> this is probably my last scheduled press briefing. i just want to offer thanks for those of you who have maintained such an enduring professional interest in the future of our air force and our airmen and our national security establishment. would you do is extremely important to us and our military community, national security community writ large. we went through a challenging

times. we depend on you to help tell the story of what is going on in our military. the difficult choices that we face and the rationale and the intention, the goal we are trying to achieve, the difficult choices that are being made. finally i will just take another opportunity to thank the men and women of the air force for the great opportunity to serve. thanks. >> today on c-span commencement speeches from members of congress. we start with minnesota senator al franken at the university of minnesota. and texas senator ted crews in michigan. followed by university commencement with south carolina congressman james clyburn , then saxby chandliss and tammy bal i

baldw baldwin. commencement addresses beginning 11:45 a.m. on eastern on c-span. >> the lot happened in the senate, three consecutive years we didn't even consider a budget resolution. i served on the budget committee for eight years and throughout budget history since 1974 their rears in which a budget resolution hasn't passed the three consecutive years, this is the fourth, they finally passed one in the senate but the house and senate have not reconcile their differences and by april 15th, we saw our taxes says the editorially congress is required to pass a budget and complete the process by april 15th and here we are, it is no wonder everything has gotten so distorted and out of

whack with the automatic cuts and a major debt, $16.8 trillion national debt, we are in uncharted territory. >> republican senator olympia snow on fixing the state of congressional gridlock sunday night at 9:00 on afterwards, part of a three day holiday weekend this weekend on c-span2's booktv. >> joint chiefs of staff chairman general martin dempsey address the families and loved ones of fallen soldiers at the annual treasury assistance program for survivors seminar. the event known as taps brings together leading professionals in the greek and trauma feel that serves as a 24/7 resource for anyone who suffered the loss of loved one who served in the armed forces. and [applause] [applause]

[applause] >> my name -- my name is bonnie carroll and i am a hugger. we come to this family because we have lost someone who served in the military but far more important than that we are here today because we are bonded forever by our love for someone who served in the military. we where a lot of pins and have different goldstar pins and giving unit pins but what we say here at taps is our opinion is a photo button worn over a broken heart. that is what brings us together.

this is our family reunion, our safe place, our tree house, our clubhouse, and you have heard of our family, it is pretty special to have everybody in this room now for -- forever in your address book. it is my great pleasure to introduce the eighteenth chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, general martin dempsey. i want to share a little bit about him. he first came to taps speaking at a very formal senate at our gala and was an honor to have him address our donors, our sponsors, our families, our volunteers. when he was first thanked after

that. justin knew how to -- justin was so proud because he knew when a challenge was presented was for doing good so he said to general dempsey you have done a good job. i think that was a great welcome to our family. general dempsey painted the good grief camp. it was daunting. this year we have 1,200 children, mentors and staff gathered next door. [applause] >> it is absolutely awesome weapons over there, this magic that occurs. he has bravely taken questions from the kids and their was up little girl who had a very special thing to tell him and he leaned over, stayed there with the kids and she wanted him to

know, she said my daddy is an angel and that was very telling. this is what our kids are living with and thinking about, that their daddy is a hero and an angel and doing good things still. the next day after this particular camp, the first one that general dempsey was with us, he saw the kids playing duck duck goose, so he stopped and he saw there were taps kids and said can i join in? they got involved in a game of duck duck goose and that was incredible but this next photograph is our absolute favorite. [applause] >> this is your chairman of the

joint chiefs of staff being loved by and loving back our taps family. general dempsey, thank you, sir. [applause] >> thanks very much. that is kind of the same reception i get when i go to capitol hill actually. we are honored to be here. when we build our calendar we actually look to see, it is always very hazardous on memorial day weekend. we always build it around this event because i find you to be an incredibly inspirational group. we are so thrilled to be here and so sad that we have to be here because of what it means.

you are here because you have suffered some incredible sadness and loss in your life and you had this event and bonnie carroll said there were 300 or so. you're really cute. you are too. will you come up here with me? she actually wanted to get in my picture a minute ago. here she comes. can you come over and say hi? is your name avery? what do you want all those people to know? want to say hi to them? >> hi. >> let's give a very a round of applause. [applause] >> want to stay with me? you can stay here or go back. of the. if you see you got to move over a little bit because nobody can see. there you go.

she is welcome to stay. the country and trusts me with about 1 million men and women, i think i can handle this one. i bet she will give me a run for my money. there we go. i do get to go over after i leave you and have time to spend with your kids and every year i make it a point to take some famous songs and added it. at some point i will probably get sued but i am willing to take that chance because it is a great way to interact with the children over is there. for you all i just want to complement you. i want to start by complimenting bonnie carroll and the team, this organization, so many years ago, you have continued to grow it and it is one of those sad thing is that it has to grow but it will continue to grow for a

while i think. before i came over here i signed nine letters of condolence to nine families who are recent members of your community. and i hope that if at some.they are ready they will join you because it is extraordinary plea important they have someone to connect to who knows what they have been through and that is you. i really appreciate what bonnie carroll and the team do but i appreciate you are willing to come here not just to get something but to give something. that is what makes this such a powerful gathering of men and women and children. on this day in history in 1844, samuel morse conducted the first live tests of the telegram. you probably knew that or should have from your education but what you may not have known is he invented the telegram because his wife had passed away and he

hadn't received the news as quickly as he needed to in order to get back to her sides of the developed -- it was his inspiration to develop the telegraph so that people could not work more quickly and that is what you are doing, you are networking. in today's technology you can network at the speed of the internet but getting together every year physically the way you do and in the interim at different events, a very powerful symbol of who we are. speaking of symbols i listened to the national anthem sometimes two or three times the day, almost every day of the year. for some reason or other all of the events i attend the national anthem is played, colors are posted and they are retired but it occurred to me listening to it today as it did last year and i had forgotten about it it must be something extraordinary for you to listen to the national anthem because no one has had

the experience of hand and a folded flag. you have. those of us that haven't experienced it don't know what that -- i can't even conceive of what it must be like but that national and demand that flag on this day at this event is very much yours, that is your experience uniquely and i hope you think about it in those terms. you are the ones that sacrificed so that we can play the national anthem and you are the ones who have sacrificed your loved ones who are allowing us to lead the lives we lead and on this memorial day weekend at all these barbeques and parades across the country, the national anthem will be played, people will respectfully pay attention to it but they won't know what it means the way you know what it means. i just want to tell you how proud i am of you, your loved ones, your children, of bonnie carroll, of the taps

organization and i promise you that despite all of the complexities of life in washington these days and all of the uncertainty about the future of the budget and all of the things that make headlines and make for good 24/7 news, you can be sure we will remember what is most important about our nation and that is the care for soldiers, sailors, coast guard and their families, veterans, and those who lost their life in the service of their country and their families. god bless you all and hope you had a rich and productive and even enjoyable weekend. you certainly deserved it. thanks very much. [applause]

>> shortly after his remarks general dempsey spoke to some of the children of taps families during the q&a session and thanked a couple songs with them. [applause] >> if you loved it last year you have to love it this year, right? there's one at the beginning and one at the end. the one at the beginning is the demographic that is shorter than 3 feet or so. some of you fall into that category. by the way, thanks for this extraordinary experience. secondly -- a little more contemporary. that is to say you might not actually hear it on the radio from time to time. you won't hit this next number on the radio but i come here

every year specifically to make sure these kids know about the value and here is how you learn about that, about noah and the arc and the unicorn. maybe there wasn't a unicorn but here we go. you can help if you were here last year and my wife will help you and everybody else you have to join in. that includes you. it would be sillier if i call you. so here we go. ♪ along time ago when the earth was green ♪ there were more planes and animals that you have ever seen ♪ they ran around free when the earth was being bar and ♪ and the loveliest of all was the unicorn ♪ there were green alligator's ♪ camels and chimpanzees next

bearcats and elephants ♪ but mostly it was the unicorn ♪ it seemed insane and gave them a ♪ and he said stand back ♪ i am going to make it rain ♪ brother noaa ♪ i tell you what to do that point build me a floating zoo ♪ and some of the green alligator's ♪ monkeys and camels and chimpanzees ♪ the offense in the barn ♪ don't you forget the unicorn ♪ noaa was there to answer the call ♪ he finished up the ark just as the rain started to fall the neck he marched in the animals two by two and he named them as they came through. i got your green alligator's

♪ camels and chimpanzees ♪ some cats and elephants ♪ i just can't find the unicorn ♪ noah looked out through the pouring rain ♪ playing silly games ♪ laughing and scratching as the rain came down ♪ all those silly you know what ♪ there were green alligator's ♪ camels and chimpanzees ♪ cats and rabbits and elephants ♪ and just can't find the unicorn ♪ the mark started drifting -- this is the end. what you talking about? there is one more verse. i was going to say you don't have to go to church on sunday,

the family would be angry. ♪ the arc started drifting with the tide not make the accord looked up from the rocks and they cried ♪ >> all right, quit your whining. won't the rain came down and floated them away ♪ >> the moral of the story that is why you will never see a unicorn to this very day. ♪ bet you will see green alligator's ♪ camels and chimpanzees ♪ cats and rabbits and elephants as sure as you are born ♪ but the loveliest of all is the unicorn ♪ the loveliest of all is the unicorn ♪ >> give yourselves a round of

applause. [applause] >> okay. before we get something real in the mix here, that is the u.s. army downrange, give them a round of applause. [applause] >> the tradition to take a few questions, so who has the questions they want to ask the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff? that was a false start. here we go. okay, go ahead. ask the question. >> i was wondering about

tickets. >> i love people. okay. >> don't be nervous. they do this release to the looking thing with their hands. don't worry about that. ♪ ♪ ♪

>> how about that? [applause] >> wasn't that beautiful? anybody else have a question? right here. this young man right there. you want to talk about your dad. i would love to hear about your dad. >> my dad was in -- he was in afghanistan two times. he really liked to play games with me and then my mom -- like

my dad has to go back to the army, and i don't know how he died. >> let's give this young man a round of applause. [applause] >> this side of the room we got a couple. okay. you did something there. did we get a picture? let's wait until after we get through the questions here. there is the young man over its share -- question. >> why did you go in the army? >> why did i joined the army? i joined of the army because i

thought that it stood for the right things, that it would allow me to be around people who knew that there was something more important in life than making money or making a job who might actually some day have to protect this country which by the way is exactly right, all your moms and dads joined the army and some of them gave their lives for that. that is a great question, thanks for asking. >> a bad bomb. >> where is he now? >> barely. >> you got to be careful how you ask these questions. i didn't get a liberal answer. i was going more for something else. dad loves you and your family.

there you go, right next to you, the microphone. ♪ ♪ ♪ >> thank you. [applause] >> let me ask you a question. whatever happened to kids being shot? who else?

how about this young man right here? right back here. i got you. what is your favorite part about being a general? >> seriously, being able to interact with the young men and women who serve. it keeps you so excited about this country when you see the quality of young people, even though they know your loved ones have been killed protecting the country they are still willing to do it so that part of it is getting to meet the men and women who choose to serve their country. >> what is your favorite thing about taps? >> first of all taps is an organization that is my favorite organization because it allows you to come together. not just this week for weekend but throughout the year.

allows people to share -- like some of the good grief camps. grief doesn't always had to be sad. grief can actually make you feel better. i hope that is what happens this week but taps does a good job with that. give a round of applause. [applause] >> this is going to be a good one. >> the outfit -- >> could you repeat that please? >> what comes -- take out fit air force. >> did you ask me of question about having an airplane?

>> she said -- >> now they're coming. >> to take your outfit and -- >> okay. let me tell you a little trick about being the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff. you learn when you go to a press conference you ask the dish you answer the question you wish you were asked. not that i will do that in this case but i do get to fly around in air force aircraft because i travel around the world trying to get to know my counterparts. the have time for one more and i will sing another song unless you tell me not to. okay. go ahead. one more and i got a break.

>> you ran over the ball and picked up the call and it just two people, whether bad people are safe and people come up the bag and the situation mark because they don't know what happened the army men that way, developed the story of what happened and it was then a book. >> that is true and i was far your dad was killed in a car accident. there is no way for me to make you feel better but i think everybody in this room has had some sadness like that. i am glad you told that story. let's tell her a round of applause. [applause] >> what we are going to do now,

every year i have taken some popular song, this particular year we selected the song drive by train. this is where the upper echelons of the demographic in their room, the vertically challenged, what we will do is put the words to the course up their. what i have done is taken the words and turned is into something for you. when you hear the words, it is not the usual words. some of them are close but the message here is this day, this event is not a drive by in terms of our relationship with you. our relationship with you goes through the whole year. it is not drive by. do it once and forget about you. i don't want you to come here once a year and forget about

each other. listen to the words of the song. i got army downrange. [applause] ♪ ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

♪ [applause] >> let's hear it for downrange. and let's hear it for taps. have a great weekend. you guys are doing the weather report. thanks a lot.

[inaudible conversations] .. >> sat down with us on the campus of stanford university to discuss their book withs. then at 3:45 p.m., mika brzezinski examines