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Show 2Kito(4 weather outlook 5-da- y www.airfield-ops- for readiness, modernization funds DoD looks HillAFB . hill.af.miloswweather u by Jim Garamone American Forces Press Service WAHING'I ON Hie U.S. military is walking a fine line between maintaining today's forces ami preparing for defense transformation, DoD's senior leaders told the House Appropriations Committee July 1. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rums-feai id Army ( n. I ienry Slielton, cliair-maof the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the defense subcommittee that years of underfunding and overuse have taken a toll on the department. Rumsfeld told the representatives that kl n today's aging l fleet over the next five years without requiring additional dollars," he continued. This is the kind of efficiency we owe the taxpayers." He said congressional support for the reduction and basing switch "would send an important signal to all of the services and give them an incentive to find further cost savings by telling them that such efforts will be rewarded with freed-u- p funds to improve capabilities." Failure to support mis initiative "would send a damaging signal across the defense establishment that finding ways to save money and increasing efficiency is a waste of time and leads to nothing but hostility," he advised. Rumsfeld said he believes DoD can save 5 percent if given the freedom to innovate. "Unless the department is given B-- simply have to match these sizable spending increases with sizable increases in efficiency. We'll need Congress to give us greater freedom to achieve cost savings, so tee can assure the taxpayers that we're using their dollars more efficiently, and we can redirect funds to urgent priorities. We simply have got to turn waste into weapons. We DoD. just to continue ongoing programs, would lieed a budget in fiscal 2X)2 of $.'547 billion $1 8 billion more than the administration recently requested. To get well by 2X)7 that is. to meet current requirements in areas like readiness, proper flying time, training, and so forth would cost the American taxpayers tens of billions of dollars more, and that's before calculating the additional investment that will be needed for transformation," he said. Rumsfeld said the increase DoD is asking for is significant "But we need every cent of it, let there be no doubt," he said. "We need the funds for pay and housing and health care and quality of life. We need it for the backlog in maintenance, modernization and transformation, and research and development I le said the Bush administration budget request halts the fiscal slide but "does not get us well. The underinvestment and overuse of the force went on far too long. The gap is too great The hole we're in is too deep; there is no way to spend our way out of it in one year." Shelton echoed and expanded on the main-tenan- 84' High 64' Low Partly cloudy, chance of afternoon thunderstorms 86' High 62' Low Partly cloudy Donald H. Rumsfeld secretary's sentiments. He said the forces are trained and ready, but many other critical units are not up to snuff. His examples included the strategic airlift fleet, combat service support units, training bases and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft These units are ... suffering the consequences of high optempo and the diversion of resources to sustain the near-terreadiness of the forces," he said. He said DoD is working to reconcile near-terreadiness imperatives first-to-fig- ht m first-to-fig- m modernization and recap- with long-teritalization. The department needs more money, but officials also asked the appropria-tor- s to give DoD the authority to use the money it already gets more wisely. "We simply have to match these sizable spending increases with sizable increases in efficiency," Rumsfeld said. "We'll need Congress to give us greater New telephone customers may face a wait as long as 75 i days for a hookup, due to increased work orders and I decreased staffing in the 75th Communications Squadron. 88 High 66 Low Mostly sunny The squadron, which is responsible for installing cables and phone hookups, is at 63 percent staffing, but has received a 60 percent increase in the average number of new work orders. The average work order takes 75 days to complete vs. 30, according to Maj. Joe Fleming, Mission Systems Flight chief. r,-,."Some of the work order increases can be attributed to , . . finalizing office space for incoming workloads from other bases," Fleming said. "Additionally, we are providr Force ing communication support for multiple non-Ai- agencies involved with the 2002 Olympics, and we are working orders for the new Environmental Management Directorate which involves the installation and relocation of communication needs for approximately 2,000 personnel." To help offset the manning shortfall, 75th CS personnel are being "borrowed" from other shops and the unit is working with the Air Force Personnel Center to fill its vacan' cies. "We're also pursuing a contract for additional support because even if we're fully manned, it will take some time before we catch up to this summer's backlog," Fleming said. "In the meantime, we're working very hard to satisfy our customer's needs as quickly as possible." For questions or comments about phone service, contact or 2nd Lt. Helen Magnusen at Ext. Fleming at Ext. . 84' High 65 Low Partly cloudy freedom to achieve cost savings, so we can assure the taxpayers that we're using their dollars more ef ficiently, and we can redirect funds to urgent priorities. We simply liave Pfot to turn waste into weapons." He used the B-- l bomber as an exam- ple. "I.ast month, the Air Force proposed to modernize the aging l fleet, turn it into a more potent weapon capable of contributing to 21st century security without requiring new money," RumsB-- feld said. The service has proposed cutting the l force from 93 aircraft to 60 and concentrating them at two air bases. The Air Force would then take the savings, use them to modernize the remaining B-- lion of advanced combat capability to ! : public Though summer doesn't end until September, school enrollment is under way. To learn more about local schools, the Family Support Center is sponsoring a Night, Aug. 14, 6 - 8 p.m. at the Family Support Center, Bldg. 308N. Superintendents from Davis and Weber School Districts, as well as teachers and counselors, will be on hand to answer questions and provide handouts. Information on the Utah State Administrative Code, Rule R277-43for Student Enrollment Options will also be available. For more information, call Ext. Enrollment dates for local schools are: Back-to-Scho- ol 7, Hill Field Elementary Registration for new students is Wednesa.m. Students who live on base day from or on Airlane Drive in Clearfield attend the school. Those registering should bring an original birth certificate, immunization record, Social Security numbers for the child and parents, phone numbers of local emergency contacts or a first sergeant, proof of residency and work place phone numbers or cell phone numbers. Families that plan to move onto the base before school starts need to bring a y housing letter from the Housing Office. 90-da- North Davis Junior High active duty members were tested during a random drug sweep the morning of July 15 at Hill AFB's South and West gates. Col. David R. Beecroft, 75th Air Base Wing commander, directed this sweep to hone in on the use of the club drug Ecstasy. The 75th Security Forces Squadron, 75th Mission Support Squadron, 75th Medical Group, Det. 113, Office of special Investigations and the Demand Reduction Center also coordinated on this effort. Final test results are expected in early August, officials said. Drug testing is conducted randomly through Sixty-si- x 85' High 65 Low Partly cloudy LEAVE SHARING The Leave Sharing program allows civilian employees to donate annual leave to benefit other employees whose annual or sick leave has been exhausted due to a medical emergency. Leave donations are made by filling out Official Form 630A (inside agency) or 630B (outside agency) and sending it to attn: Sher-ry- l Brown; dropping the form-bBldg. 1245, Room 9; sendor calling a fax to Ext. ing Ext. Christine Harris, Logis- tics Management Directorate, has exhausted all her leave due to complications from multiple fractures in her right leg. To donate or for more information, call Francine Waite at Ext. Aug. 27 New students should pick up a registration package at the school located at 835 S. State 0 Street in Clearfield, and then call for an Aug.13 enrollment appointment. Seventh grade orientation is Aug. 14 from 8 10 a.m. 402-650- -- North Layton Junior High Registration forms are available at the school's main office on 1100 W. Antelope in Layton. Summer office n hours are 7 and p.m. After Aug. 10, office hours are 0 8 Those regp.m. Monday-Fridashould istering bring an original birth certificate, immunization record, proof of residency and a report card from the last school, if available. a.m.-noo- Monday-T- hursday. a.m.-3:3- y. Northridge High School 1 75ih stops active duty 75th ABW public affairs e aircraft with new precision weapons, systems, reliability upgrades, so that they can become viable in a future conflict," he said. "Doing this would add some $1.5 bil- Mail-iregistration packages are due today. New students should pick up a registration package at the school located at 2430 N. Hill Field Road in Layton, and then make an appoint0 ment with a counselor by calling or Office hours are 7 a.m. - noon and 3 School starts p.m. Monday-ThursdaAug. 27. For more information, call the Davis County School District at the Ogden City School District at 6 or Weber County School District at n 402-850- 774-766- 0. 1-- y. 402-525- 8, 625-877- Registration packages were due Monday. by Rhonda Elmore asking you to appropriate more of the taxpayers' dollars to meet still more urgent needs, many of which could have been paid for by finding cost savings." He said a 5 percent savings would be more than $15 billion. "We could do a great deal with that saving," he said. "We could pay $3 billion needed to annually increase ship procurement from six to nine sliips. We could cover the $1.4 billion needed annually to fund base operation requirements. We could pay the entire annual cost of procuring the additional aircraft necesrequiresary to help meet the steady-statments for Navy, Air Force and Army aircraft. These are all important priorities that need to be funded, and I would certainly prefer to come to you next year and tell you that we've found ways to fund certain programs by operating more Enrollment Local school classes start Decreased staffing delays phone orders A encouragement to turn waste into weapons, we will have to come to you next year 476-782- 6. for drug testing out the year, but because of the current popularity of "Rave" parties and the drug Ecstasy, sterner measures were needed. "This was as random as it gets," Beecroft said. "We tested 100 percent of inbound active duty personnel at 100 percent of our open gates between 1:30 and 2:30 a.m. We had a colonel and a chief master sergeant at each gate and those tested were cooperative." This after hours sweep was deemed necessary because the drug Ecstasy remains in the body's system for only a short time, usually one to three days," explained Doug Lemon, manager of the Demand Reduction Program. "Although Ecstasy, was targeted, we'll also test for seven other drugs such as cocaine, heroin, crack and marijuana." According to Lemon, HillAFB is doing slightly better in the drug testing results than the rest of the Air Force. "The numbers Air Force wide are one in 300 will return positive. At Hill AFB, it's one in 350," Lemon said. Civilians are considered for drug testing as well, based on sensitivity of their duty position. "Although we haven't done weekend testing in a while, now that we have a system in place, it will likely occur more frequently," Beecroft added. "We aren't out to harass anyone, but there's no room in our Air Force for those who choose to take illegal substances. This weekend and nighttime testing program will help send the right Quadrennial Defense Review process 'still on track' by Gerry J. Gilmore American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON Work on the Quadrennial Defense Review, the "blueprint" to U.S. military transformation, is on track, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said July 18. The QDR "is a tough process. It is an important process. We've had wonderful cooperation, and we're well along in that process," Rumsfeld told reporters at a Pentagon news conference. Conducted every four years by congressional mandate, the QDR evaluates military force structure, capabilities, and resource requirements. Its recommendations are to be provided to Congress Sept. 30. The services began collecting data for the QDR last year, but the prolonged 2000 presidential election has squeezed the time available to work on the review. To accomplish it in a relatively short period is a particular challenge," Rumsfeld said, noting that senior military and civilian leaders have for months been engaged in myriad QDR meetings and briefings.. Those senior leaders first arrived at "unanimous" agreement on terms of reference for the review, Rumsfeld said. Panels were then formed to research strategy and force planning; military organizations, arrangements, capabilities and systems; space; informationintelligence; personnel and readiness; infrastructure; and force integration. Rumsfeld likened the QDR to a balancing of risks. "We're trying to look at operational risks and evaluate them," he said. "We're trying to then look at the risks of not doing a proper job for our people, and balancing that against operational risks. "Were looking at the risks of failing to fix the g that went on for a long period of years with respect to modernization and readiness. "In addition, we're trying to follow the president's guidance of balancing the risks of transformation or under-fundin- not transforming in a time to address the kinds of problems that we inevitably will be facing in the period immediately ahead." Rumsfeld said military leaders from all the services have provided a kaleidoscope of valuable opinions and views for the QDR. They're overwhelmingly, absolutely terrific human beings. And, we're fortunate to have them," he said. However, transforming DoD to meet the realities d of today's War world and the envisioned challenges of the future isn't easy, Rumsfeld said. "I think it is perfectly correct to say that change is hard ... whether it is the contracting community or the Congress or the department itself, civilian or military," he said. "I don't know if there is a lot of difference between any of those categories, that what exists is understandable, it's clear, it's working from their personal standpoints, and to alter it is post-Col- IPOOR ( |