Commentary: Funding a challenge, local solutions underway

  • Published
  • By Brig. Gen. Eric S. Overturf
  • 442nd Fighter Wing commander
WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. --  Welcome back to another drill weekend and congratulations for putting another major inspection in the rear view mirror. We successfully completed all elements of the consolidated unit inspection (CUI) except for the health services inspection (HSI), and we're already on the way to filling the flight surgeon and medical administration positions we need to succeed in the HSI retake.

The overall compliance inspection and logistics compliance assessment program grades were strong "satisfactory" grades with many just below the "excellent" cutoff. The aircrew standardization and evaluation inspection resulted in the highest grade possible ("complies with no findings,") and described the 442nd Standardization and Evaluation program as the "command model for Combat Air Forces." Several areas, programs, people and teams throughout the wing received excellent, outstanding, and even "best in the Air Force Reserve Command" ratings from the inspectors, and more than 40 wing members were recognized as superior performers. Some of the highlights of the reports included our 442nd Maintenance Operations Flight, which earned an outstanding rating with a 96-percent pass rate, and our crash damaged disabled aircraft recovery program that was recognized as "best seen to date."

In summary, I'm very proud of the way the 442nd Fighter Wing performed during this inspection, and I know we'll get even better as we follow up on the corrective actions required to close out the findings. Now is the time to correct the deficiencies while they are still fresh in our minds and we can use the inspection reports to justify any additional resources or procedure changes we need.

Speaking of resources, we are operating under significant financial constraints in the current continuing resolution (CR) budget that runs through March 27, 2013. Congress could not agree on a full fiscal year 2013 budget to send to the president, so instead we got limited funding that does not account for all the training costs required to get our reservists from basic training to full qualification in their jobs. Until we get a full budget we will be critically short of the Reserve personnel account (RPA) funding that pays for training our people, from basic training and drill weekends to Reserve mandays, annual tour, seasoning days, readiness management periods (RMPs), bonuses and travel - to mention just a few. Many of these things are normally "centrally funded" as opposed to coming out of our wing account, but that is not the case as long as we are operating under the CR. I don't expect to get any more money before the end of March 2013, so we have to figure out how to work within the budget constraints and still accomplish our mission to Train & Deploy Combat-Ready Airmen.

I've worked with the wing's leadership and staff to generate and publish guidance on how we will use our limited funds to get the mission done. I apologize for the financial difficulty this may be causing you, and I can assure you that we are doing everything we can to minimize the negative impacts on our people. One thing we won't do is more with less, so I expect you to notify your chain of command when you can't get your job done based on these funding constraints. I also know it seems crazy to see the wing spending money on construction and furniture while we are denying mandays and travel expenses, but that's the way our government budget system works, with different pots of money that can't be mixed. The new parking lots and furniture we're getting now were paid for in September with last fiscal year fallout money, which unfortunately doesn't help us when it comes to this year's mandays, schools or travel.

Despite our best efforts to minimize spending, we will most likely have to take additional measures to avoid running out of money before the end of the CR. I've asked our commanders to look at the option of rescheduling our March drill weekend until April, which will defer payment of about a million dollars of training funds until after the current CR. I will hold commander's calls at Whiteman during the December unit training assembly to give you the latest financial update and our plan for the rest of the CR.

These are some difficult financial times, but they are not unprecedented, and I know we'll get through them together. Thank you for your support and understanding, and have a happy Thanksgiving!