The state of the force—2005

We must prepare ourselves for a range of future conflicts, not just for a repeat of the wars we fight today. A future where the only thing we know for certain is that the fight will be joint, involving all four services acting interdependently and it will be combined, fighting alongside allied forces. That need has been the driving force behind our BRAC proposals. This is a crucial crossroads for our Air Force.

The Air Force is transforming from an Industrial Age force to an Information Age force and from a Cold War force to an expeditionary force. All while adjusting to emerging missions in a changed security environment.

The BRAC Commission agreed with most of our proposals, closing or significantly realigning 80 percent of the bases we chose to close, and helping us optimize nearly 60 percent of our Reserve and Guard flying squadrons.

These are changes that will go a long way toward resetting our forces and infrastructure to face the threats of the 21 st century and enhance our Total Force concept.

This uncertain future remains the baseline concern behind our inputs into the Quadrennial Defense Review as well. And while the QDR is still being worked, I am certain that when the results are released, we will see a future military force structure designed to face the multiple threats the coming decades will bring.

No matter what the outcome of the QDR, some aspects of our preparations remain constant. We will focus on two areas: our core competencies--our means of producing battlefield effects and on developing of Airmen, the men and women who bring those effects to life

These core competencies: rapid global mobility, information superiority, agile combat support, precision engagement, global attack, and air and space superiority encompass everything we do. Our efforts at modernization and recapitalization are focused on improving our abilities and our core competencies. Many are linked, like the Joint Warfighting Space initiative which is designed to make space systems more responsive and available to the theater commander, and the on-going Tanker Analysis of Alternatives, which touches on both rapid global mobility and global attack. Some have additional capabilities in other areas like missiles on a Predator UAV--global attack on a platform designed for information superiority. Or using the F/A-22's on-board sensors to feed ISR data back to intelligence analysts using a system designed for global attack and air and space superiority to meet information superiority needs.

The individual tools are superb, but the real benefit comes from their integration and that is where we must focus our efforts. But all these great ideas and new systems are worthless without one thing--the men and women that operate them. A $100 million aircraft is not an asset; in fact, it's a liability, unless it is in the hands of well-trained Airmen. Developing Airmen who are ready to meet the challenges of the 21 st century is even more important than having the right systems and infrastructure. Our greatest asset--our most powerful weapon--is our Airmen.