Announcement By the Acting Chair

Floor Speech

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Mr. ALFORD. Mr. Chair, I offer this amendment to simply add ``Air Force Reserve'' in addition to ``Air National Guard'' to Mr. Bacon's language that he secured in our National Defense Authorization Act that directs the Secretary of the Air Force to not terminate fighter flying missions until the Secretary submits a modernization plan to the Armed Services Committee with options for replacement of aircraft with more capable aircraft. This is important not to just my district at Whiteman Air Force Base and the 442nd Fighter Wing but at several bases across our great Nation.

As A-10s and other platforms are retired, we must ensure that our Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard units have follow-on missions. This amendment will help provide clarity to Congress and Reserve and National Guard units on how the Air Force will modernize and replace our fighter squadrons.

I think we all know that the world is changing. Our platforms are changing. The A-10 is a very lethal aircraft, as we have seen for the last 30 years.

The 442nd at Whiteman Air Force Base, the men and women there have served proudly. I feel they and others deserve security in knowing that a replacement is going to be there at Whiteman Air Force Base, that they have some answers and security from the Secretary until those final decisions of modernization are made.

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Mr. ALFORD. Mr. Chairman, I am eager to hear what Ms. Frankel has to say not related to this amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the ranking member for his hard work and dedication in crafting this bipartisan NDAA.

This amendment is not intended to block in any way the modernization. We know that the A-10 is the legacy aircraft. A lot of people love the A-10, and it has performed well in battle. It has seen effective lethality in several theatres of battle.

The people who operate out of the 442nd have a deep love of their fighter mission. They have a deep passion for continuing that mission. They know that new platforms are coming.

Whiteman Air Force Base is going to be home of the new B-21 stealth bomber. There are going to be complementary aircraft and programs to that. They know that. They know the world is changing and that the pacing threat from Communist China has really changed how we view warfare and deterrence. They get that.

We owe it to them, and they deserve a little security because it is very easy for them to pick up now and leave and go into the private sector. There is too much talent in the 442nd and other fighter squadrons to not have that security. That is all we are asking for in this amendment, Mr. Chairman, is a little security. We are asking for a little appreciation and a little respect for the hardworking men and women who have dedicated their lives in service to America.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

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