Gallego Questions Air Force Officials on the Future of Davis-Monthan Air Force Base
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Rep. Ruben Gallego (AZ-03) questioned the Honorable Frank Kendall III, Secretary of the Air Force, and General Charles Q. Brown, Chief of Staff, United States Air Force, on the Department of the Air Forces’ FY 2024 budget request.
During his questioning, Rep. Gallego pressed General Brown on how the Air Force will help Davis-Monthan transition to a new mission. Rep. Gallego previously led a letter to Air Force Secretary Kendall seeking answers from the Air Force on their long-term plan for Davis-Monthan.
Click here to watch Rep. Gallego’s remarks in full.
Transcript of Rep. Gallego’s remarks and questions:
Rep. Ruben Gallego: Thank you, Mr. Chair. General Brown, as you know, Arizona is home to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, which serves a crucial role in keeping Americans across the country safe. With almost 10,000 service members currently stationed there, it has hosted complex missions, maintains convenient access to training ranges and airspace, enjoys robust support from the local community. My understanding is that the base is transitioning to an Air Force Special Operations Command Power projection mission. Can you describe what this mission would entail from an Air Force perspective and what mile markers the community should be aware of leading to it? Also, how can the Air Force best support Davis-Monthan as it makes this transition?
Gen. Charles Q. Brown: Well, first of all, we need great support from your delegation, but also from the community, from Davis-Monthan. And we've got a chance to engage with the leadership there in the community. As we make the transition from A-10 to this power projection range and special operations, it's a combination of bringing in our AC-130s, our C-130s, light attack aircraft, in addition to the AC-37 that will come into to Davis-Monthan, as well as aspects of rescue will also come at the Davis-Monthan. So it's a combination of capabilities. And then the other key part of this is their access to the ranges that are there in Arizona and in the Western United States will increase their training opportunity. As we work very closely with the community and with the delegation, it's the flow of airmen in the transition. And as we do that and as we've talked and will continue to safe taps, the visit to the base to get more detail, we'll also look at the MILCON, but also the personnel numbers, because overall, that should be neutral or maybe just a bit of a bump up in personnel when it's all said and done.
Rep. Gallego: As a follow-up then, modernizing the Force to face a new threat is a key theme in your written statement in this year's president's budget. The department is also calling for the additional divestment of 42 A-10s, a platform that provides crucial, close air support to our troops, some that I have experienced myself. I understand that the intent is for current and future platforms to execute this mission through the advancement of technology. My concern, however, is an overreliance on technology to the point of Forces potentially losing basic skills, such as non-guided by electronics, and the Air Force forgoing a generation's worth of experience. Can you describe how the Air Force is ensuring its pilots remain proficient in CAS as a whole? And what steps is the Air Force taking to ensure that technology for CAS can still be effective in a comms-degraded environment or denied environment that which we anticipate should the balloon go up with China?
Gen. Brown: You know, one thing, Rep. Gallego, that I would highlight is not only for the United States Air Force, but really for the joint team. As you look at our joint doctrine that outlines how we do close air support, much of the technology that we're using to be able to do close air support is really based on that very basic doctrine before we had the technology. And so how do we take that technology and make it a bit easier to be able to execute? What we want to be able to make sure that our aircrew, as well as all those are working close air support, can still operate in degraded environments. So you need to understand the basics of how to be able to do this, but then the technology just makes the job easier. The other part I would highlight with this is as we bring that technology in, it allows us the capability to bring it across a number of different platforms. And I'll just tell you from personal experience, having flown close air support, in an F-16, B-1, and B-52 in combat, that technology and being able to work and being able to bring combat airpower to where it's needed to support the operation on the ground, or any place else, is what we're going to do as the United States Air Force.
Rep. Gallego: Secretary Kendall, you mentioned multiple times in your testimony that Chinese Communist Party is our pacing threat. I'm deeply concerned by growing aggression and provocation from CCP, namely, the Chinese leadership is closely watching what's happening in Ukraine. Within that context, what lessons has your department learned from Russia's invasion, specifically regarding space technology and the rapid employment of commercial technology from the European theater? And what should or should we not implement in the Indo-PACOM as a result?
Secretary Frank Kendall III: I guess, Congressman, the first things on my list would be the importance of space and the presence of space on the battlefield, effectively, and the absence of airpower, or at least airpower dominance by either side. We are seeing space being used for communications. We're seeing space being used for imagery for targeting. We're seeing counter space systems attempt to leach off kill systems. So, space is part of the fight, and it’s an important part of the fight. So that's first. On the air side, neither side has been able to achieve air dominance, and that's had a fundamental impact on what's happened on the ground. Both sides have been able to use their ground-based air defenses reasonably effectively to counter the other side. Particularly though Ukraine, against a much superior force, theoretically, with technology, but certainly with numbers. You know, we're watching all this carefully and learning from it. The importance of having a well-trained air force and an air force that can work together well as a team and employ technologies effectively is vitally important.