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Stalled budget leaves Air Force short of funds
By Dave Majumdar - Staff writer
Posted : Friday Feb 4, 2011 12:24:30 EST
Even as the Pentagon puts the final touches on its 2012 budget, the Air Force — and the rest of the federal government — is still operating under 2010 terms.
And that means, among other things, the service is running out of money to pay its airmen, senior Air Force leaders said.
“If we don’t get some degree of relief, as the Congress continues its work, those will impose significant real implications on Air Force operations,” said Jamie Morin, assistant Air Force secretary for financial management.
Because Congress has so far failed to pass either of the spending bills that would approve a 2011 budget, Morin said the service is operating under a $7 billion shortfall compared to the White House budget request.
Operating under a continuing resolution, the Air Force may not award new contracts, increase production rates for urgently needed equipment or fund needed military construction projects, he said.
The operations and maintenance budget is facing a $4.6 billion deficit.
A “bow wave” of deferred aircraft maintenance, facility maintenance are building up as the service operates under constraints of the continuing resolution.
Air Force Vice Chief Gen. Philip Breedlove echoed Morin’s concerns.
“The current continuing resolution, which expires March 4, has negatively affected Air Force modernization programs.”
The Air Force has been trying to reduce the impact of the budget fiasco by moving around what money it is allowed to under the law, but the service is running out of room to maneuver.
“Our ability to mitigate is basically fully used up now,” Morin said.
The service had been raiding its procurement accounts to stave off a breakdown, but those funds are now running dry, said Maj. Gen. Alfred Flowers, the Air Force’s deputy assistant secretary for budget.
The result is that deployed troops are not getting the equipment they need, Morin said.
Another affected program is the F-15E Active Electronically Scanned Array radar upgrade, Morin said.
If the contract for the upgrade is not awarded this year, the service may have to ground the aircraft “down the road” as spare parts are no longer available for their current radar sets, he said.
If a budget is not passed at all this year, the impact will also be felt by the F-15C fleet, which is also receiving new radar.
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