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President asks for more money, Air Force reservists

  • Published
WASHINGTON --  The president’s proposed defense budget for next year seeks $4.1 billion in funding for Air Force Reserve Command and an end-strength of 74,900 reservists. 

The fiscal 2007 request covers the fiscal year that starts Oct. 1. It asks for 900 more Air Force reservists than the 74,000 authorized this year. 

The president sent his overall defense budget request of $493.3 billion to Congress Feb. 6. The Air Force portion of the Department of Defense funding is $130.4 billion. 

In the president’s budget, the Air Force Reserve requests funding for three separate appropriations – operation and maintenance, reserve personnel, and military construction. 

Most of the AFRC portion of the FY 2007 President’s Budget request – $2.7 billion – is for O & M funds to train, organize and administer the command. The Air Force Reserve received $2.5 billion in O & M funds this year. 

In 2007, another $1.36 billion goes to the reserve personnel appropriation for military personnel participation and training requirements. This funding includes a military pay raise of 2.2 percent. It also covers adding another 476 traditional reservists and 424 full-time Active Guard and Reserve reservists. 

The requested reserve personnel appropriation represents a $72.6 million increase compared to that received for this year’s reserve personnel appropriation. 

Requested funding for military construction in FY 2007 is $44.9 million. These funds are to pay for five major projects in four states. 

This year the command is getting $105.9 million for military construction, which includes major and minor projects, and planning and design. Last year the president had recommended $79.3 million, but Congress added $26.6 million more to fund five additional projects. 

Finally, Congress added another $57.8 million to help the Air Force Reserve in fiscal 2006 – $30 million in the National Guard and Reserve Equipment Appropriation and $27.8 million in aircraft procurement with the Regular Air Force. 

Congress uses the president’s budget as a blueprint to draft appropriations legislation. After both houses of Congress approve their versions of the bill, the two versions go to a joint conference committee to resolve differences in the two bills. After both houses of Congress approve the reconciled version of the bill, it goes to the president to be signed into law. (AFRC News Service)