may i recognize general stenner. >> mr. chairman, senator cochran, thank you for the opportunity to appear here before you today. i'd like to introduce my newest command chief of the u.s. command chief and have her stand, please, chief master sergeant kathleen buckner. [ applause ] >> sir, i strongly believe today's air force reserve is an operationally component of the total force because of our capability, capacity and accessibility as title 10 resource. air force reserve airman are seamlessly integrated and do every service core function across the full spectrum of operations. the air force reserve is responsive to national security needs and is an effective, efficient and affordable component of your air force. a ready force deployable within 72 hours. the reserve is able to do this, because of the depth of experience among our citizen airmen. our air force reserve personnel, most of whom come to us from the active force average seven years of additional experience over our active duty counter parts and mission capabili

and as general wyatt will tell you and i'm sure general stenner will tell you that our air force and its strength cascades to its reserve component, both air national guard and the air force reserve. so i'll let general wyatt cover account corporate process that you're alluding to with your question and then take any follow-up questions you may have about our involvement. about you. >> general wyatt? >> mr. chairman, the air force decision-making process as we put together budgets is commonly referred to as the air force corporate process and has several different steps along the way, beginning at the action officer going up to the one star, two star level which is the board level. council level at three star and then recommendations are presented to the chief and the secretary at the four star level. i was able to participate, my staff was able to participate, all along the way. we were encouraged to make our inputs and we did so, in fact, we exercised that encouragement rather vociferously inside the air force corporate process. we did present alternatives to the air force, alterna

now may i recognize general stenner. >> thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today. i would like to introduce my nose commander-in-chief and have firsthand. chief sergeant master kathleen buckner. [applause] i strongly believe today's air force reserve is eight essential component of the total force because of our acceptability as a title and resource. airmen are seamlessly integrated into every service core function across the full spectrum of operations. the air force reserve is responsive to national security needs and is an affordable component of your air force. a ready force deployable within 72 hours. the reserve is able to do this because of the depth of experience. the personnel have come to us through the active force and have additional experience and our mission capability rates reflexiveness every day. without a doubt, the reserve is positioned to retain the massive investment in human capital and maintain a cost effective heads. the reserve has experience of over 20 years of operational engagement including this. our air force reserves succeed at being

general stenner and i have given to your staff some questions about reassigning aircraft that now based as keesler air force base biloxi, and i hope you can take a look at those and address a response to the committee as soon as reasonably possible. what we're concerned about is the readiness, of course, of an operational reserve and how that may be affected by the air force's restructure decisions. do you have any comments that you can make as a way of introduction to what you're -- your thoughts are on that subject? >> senator cochran i can do that. let me refer to the previous

marine corps reserve, general stephen hummer, and the chief of the air force reserve, general charles stenner. and i'd like to thank you all for joining us today. as the committee reviews the budget for the reserve components. this year's budget proposal significant force structure changes for the air national guard, reducing end strength bill 5100 bullets and aircraft inventory by 134 aircraft. this proposal has come under intense scrutiny from the members of congress, the council of governors, and maniage utant generals and i'd like to hear from you on how involved you were in the deliberative process that preceded the force structure announcement and what input you were asked to give. >> in addition over the last several years, the guard and reserve have made important changes as their transition from a strategic to an operational reserve. >> this shift requires you to have deployment ready units available at all times. as we draw down our military forces in afghanistan, the department will need to figure out how to best utilize this new operational reserve. many, many challenges remain fo

as an organized training equipped organization, i believe general stenner would back me up on this, the air force adequately funds us to be able to train and equip. but to be able to use us in operational missions around the world, they need sufficient mpa days so we can be

as an organized training equipped organization, i believe general stenner would back me up on this, the air force adequately funds us to be able to train and equip. but to be able to use us in operational missions around the world, they need sufficient mpa days so we can be available on a moment's call. >> does the dollar amount requested for this committee's approval meet those requirements? >> yes, sir, i think it does. in pb 13 for the title 10 fight. i'm a little bit concerned when i take a look at some of the domestic requirements for the air national guard. there is, you know, some pressure. so obviously as the air force tries to do its part in reducing the deficit, i think the key is that as we go forward and we look at the number of required mpa days that would allow the air guard and the reserve to continue functioning, that we take a no kidding look at what are the requirements, what interest demands that the cocomms are telling us would be forward and what would be adequately budgeted for that rather than pick an arbitrary number and try to cut. >> general ingram, camp shelby

general stenner and i have given to your staff some questions about reassigning aircraft that now based as keesler air force base biloxi, and i hope you can take a look at those and address a response to the committee as soon as reasonably possible. what we're concerned about is the readiness, of course, of an operational reserve and how that may be affected by the air force's restructure decisions. do you have any comments that you can make as a way of introduction to what you're -- your thoughts are on that subject? >> senator kocochran i can do that. let me refer to the previous panel's discussions, general wyatt discussing the same issues looking at downsizing some of the fleets we have as a result of age or as a result of requirements. and that's the tricky part of this, is, how do we look at this across the systems? in the c-130s, in this example, and ensure that we meet the requirements of the combatant commander, which if we do that, we'll allow us to reduce the numbers we currently have. we did have a very rigorous process that we went through, and there are four very major ten

i think general stenner would back me up on this. the air force at goalie funds us to train and equip. but to use us in operational missions around the world, the air force needs to baseline budget so we can continue to be the operational force that is available on a moment's call. >> thus the dollar amount requested for this committee's approval beat those requirements -- does the dollar amount meet those requirements? next i think it does for the title 10 fight. i am a little bit concerned when i look at some of the domestic requirements for the air national guard. there are some pressures as the air force tries to do its part in reducing the deficit. i think the key is that as we go forward and look at the number of required days that would allow the air guard and reserve to continue functioning, we take a look at what are the requirements and demands and then adequately budget for that, rather than just picking an arbitrary number and trying to cut. >> camp shelby in mississippi has been a site for army guardsmen reservists and o

now may i recognize general stenner. >> thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today. i would like to introduce my nose commander-in-chief and have firsthand. chief sergeant master kathleen buckner. [applause] i strongly believe today's air force reserve is eight essential component of the total force because of our acceptability as a title and resource. airmen are seamlessly integrated into every service core function across the full spectrum of operations. the air force reserve is responsive to national security needs and is an affordable component of your air force. a ready force deployable within 72 hours. the reserve is able to do this because of the depth of experience. the personnel have come to us through the active force and have additional experience and our mission capability rates reflexiveness every day. without a doubt, the reserve is positioned to retain the massive investment in human capital and maintain a cost effective heads. the reserve has experience of over 20 years of operational engagement including this. our air force reserves succeed at being