Your Air Force today

Air Force Speeches, August 18, 2008

Remarks to the Veterans of Foreign Wars National Convention, Orlando, Fla., Aug. 18, 2008

Thank you for that wonderful introduction! It is great to be here in Orlando.

I appreciate the support that you provide to our men and women in uniform, as well as over 23 million American veterans who have defended liberty--many in remote locations, far from home. They deserve our Nation's utmost gratitude.

Salute to VFW

Our veterans have answered their country's call to duty, representing America's unswerving commitment to individual human rights and dignity. They honored our Constitution and the ideals on which it rests with their service and commitment. As an Army veteran myself, I am grateful to be counted among their ranks.

I have to tell you--the men and women of today's Armed Forces remain just as dedicated and committed to the ideals of our country as their predecessors. Today's Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors and Marines are making tremendous contributions to our national defense--from defending the skies above our homeland to capturing insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan. Their daily actions honor the proud legacy of military service that organizations like the VFW continue to uphold and sustain as an essential part of the American character.

Before I begin, I want to offer my thanks for your efforts with the airlines to waive baggage surcharges for military personnel traveling on official orders. This is much appreciated by our men and women in uniform.

Snapshot

I appreciate the opportunity to share with you a snapshot of today's Air Force, and in particular its contributions to the Global War on Terror.

Today's Airmen

So, who are today's Airmen? Well, the Total Force of Regular, Reserve, Guard, and civilians numbers about 660,000 personnel serving in over 50 different career fields.

Nearly 68,000 Airmen are assigned outside the continental United States in 98 countries.

Today's Airmen are educated and innovative, continually improving their skills. Over 50 percent of the officer corps has earned advanced or professional degrees, and nearly a quarter of the enlisted corps possess at least an associate degree, with many earning bachelors and graduate degrees.

In the active force, over 38 percent were born after 1982, and over 60 percent are married, many with children and other dependents. Nearly 20 percent of today's Airmen are women, including 596 pilots, 235 navigators, and 149 air battle managers. Additionally, military couples are now commonplace. At present, we have over 19,000 couples where both spouses serve in the armed forces.

Today's Airmen fly and maintain an operational aircraft fleet that averages over 24 years old, and a tanker fleet that averages over 49 years old. For comparison, back in 1967, the age of the operational aircraft fleet averaged just over 8 years.

Finally, today's Airmen are busy. Since Sept. 11,2001, America's Airmen have filled over 650,000 contingency personnel requirements, the vast majority in direct support of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. This past April, the number of sorties flown in those operations and Operation Noble Eagle in the skies over the United States, surpassed one million.

Today's Airmen build on the great traditions of America's veterans, delivering Global Vigilance, Global Reach, and Global Power to Joint commanders in every corner of the globe with pride and professionalism.

Air Force Contributions to the Global War On Terror

There is no question that our Joint partners in the Army and Marine Corps are shouldering the heaviest loads in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. But these are fundamentally Joint operations and your Airmen are making significant and critical contributions.

Right now, over 33,000 Airmen are deployed to contingencies worldwide, with over 26,000 of America's Airmen spread across 63 different locations throughout the Middle East. Thousands more stand behind them providing operational support from their home bases.

Global Reach

The Air Force's first contribution is Global Reach. Today, thousands of Airmen provide the air bridge that links the United States with distant lands. On average, an Air Mobility Command aircraft takes off every 90 seconds from somewhere in the world.

For operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, the men and women of Air Mobility Command average 145 sorties per day for airlift and aerial refueling. They have also airlifted over 2,800 heavy duty MRAP vehicles (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected) to the theater; and have recently been using a new Joint Precision Airdrop System (JPADS) utilizing GPS, to directly drop supplies and equipment to Joint and Coalition forces in the field with unprecedented accuracy.

Space

Once in theater, U.S. and Coalition forces are supported by over 46 satellites, along with their network of operations centers and ground stations. Invisible but always present, these contributions from space are facilitating joint command and control, GPS-based navigation, accurate weather forecasting, and the collection, processing, and dissemination of intelligence. Data moves around the globe through multiple time zones in mere milliseconds, transiting though networks in cyberspace that are defended by cyberspace warriors.