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                                                                                        February 19, 2016                         7

Congratulations to these outstanding individuals!

Civilian of the Year, category 1, Eliana Mar- Civilian of the Year, category 2, Elaine  &LYLOLDQRIWKH<HDUFDWHJRU\.HYLQ+RURZ- &LYLOLDQRIWKH<HDUFDWHJRU\0LFKDHO/H-
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Senior NCO of the Year, Master Sgt.    Recruiter of the Year, Master Sgt. Charles       First Sgt. of the Year, Senior Master     &*2RIWKH<HDUQG/W-LP/DPEHUW
1LQD7KXUVWRQWK$LUOLIW6TXDGURQ  :DQG]DODNVW)RUFH6XSSRUW6TXDGURQ           Sgt. Matthew Youkey, 452nd Security       QG$HURPHGLFDO(YDFXDWLRQ6TXDGURQ
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                                                                                                                                  See WINNERS page 12

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By Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs               “We are using the strengths of our total force team       over the next several years to the required 479 tanker
published February 12, 2016, af.mil                     while we continue to balance readiness today and             aircraft before it considers divesting tankers as it re-
                                                        tomorrow,” said Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee              ceives KC-46A Pegasus aircraft to replace them.
   WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- Air Force officials              James. “In this budget, we will transfer some strate-
released force structure changes resulting from the     gic airlift capability from active-duty to Air National         The fiscal 2017 plan also maintains all 14 of the current
president’s fiscal year 2017 budget Feb. 12.             Guard and Air Force Reserve locations, maintaining           EC-130H Compass Call fleet through fiscal 2018, while re-
                                                        critical surge capability in the Reserve component.”         tiring 28 C-130H Hercules aircraft between fiscal 2017 and
   This year’s budget request continues the momen-                                                                   fiscal 2019 to reduce excess capacity and free up resources
tum gained from the recovery provided by the 2015          The budget rephases divestment of the A-10 Thun-          to invest in enterprise requirements. Additionally, a small
Bipartisan Budget Act, but still reflects the tough      derbolt II to coincide with fielding of follow-on capa-       number of F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft will be transferred
choices the Air Force was forced to make as the de-     bilities and will delay retirement of the first A-10s until   to formal training units to help increase the rate of pilot pro-
mand for Air Force capability continues to increase     fiscal 2018 to align with F-35 Lightning II bed down,         duction to help fill critical fighter pilot shortages.
as the Budget Control Act looms in fiscal 2018.          keeping the A-10 in the inventory until fiscal 2022.
                                                                                                                        “The actions in this budget represent our best plan
   The fiscal 2017 budget leverages the total force         “Rephasing the retirement of the weapons system           to balance readiness for the warfighter today and into
-- active duty, Guard and Reserve -- to maintain the    until later in the Future Years Defense Program ensures      the future, but we need to ensure our Air Force stands
service’s ability to support ongoing operations while   critical capability is retained in the near term to support  ready for any unseen challenge of tomorrow,” James
ensuring the service is ready to face future threats.   ongoing operations, as well as any potential changes in      said. “Our (fiscal 2017) budget continues the recovery
The budget keeps the active-duty force at 317,000       the geopolitical environment,” said Air Force Chief of       and gives us a larger and better equipped force. How-
while posturing the force for future growth. Guard      Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III. “This plan will allow us       ever, we still had to make tough choices in moderniza-
and Reserve manning will remain constant, but the       to maintain vital fighter capacity as we transition to the    tion, infrastructure and people to live within Bipartisan
Air Force will continue plans to transfer aircraft and  F-35 and deal with a resurgent Russia and a protracted       Budget Act limits. We need to continue the recovery,
flying missions to Air National Guard and Air Force      counterterrorism war in Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria.”        repeal sequestration in FY18, and give America the
Reserve locations that would otherwise have no mis-                                                                  Air Force it deserves ... now and in the future.”
sion due to fleet divestments.                              The Air Force also plans to grow the tanker force
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