Reserve Officers Association
Concurrent F-35 Bed-Down with the Reserve Components
Resolution No. 10-13
WHEREAS, A significant surge capability of the fighter aircraft mission exists in the Reserve Component;
WHEREAS, The 2005 Base Realignment and Closure process modified a number of National Guard and Reserve facilities forcing them to lose their fighter aircraft mission; and
WHEREAS, Aircraft programs do not traditionally reach the programmed numbers initially set out in the beginning of production due to funding and mission changes throughout their acquisition; and
WHEREAS, The F-35 Lightning II is scheduled to begin delivery to primarily active duty units in the initial stages of its bed-down with the Reserve Components getting the last of the F-35s to come off of the production line producing a fighter gap in the Air National Guard; and
WHEREAS, The concurrent and proportional delivery of the F-35 to the Reserve Components in conjunction with the delivery to the Active Duty would allow the Reserve Components to train, prepare and deploy alongside the total force; and
WHEREAS, Without the concurrent and proportional delivery of the F-35 to the Reserve Components over the same timeline will cause an undue mission burden on the Active Duty if the F-35 were to be rotated into contingency operations;
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Reserve Officers Association, chartered by Congress, urge the Air Force to bed down the F-35 concurrently with the Reserve Components in a proportion of the mission for which the Reserve and Air National Guard are manned.
Adopted by the ROA National Convention 10 February 2010
Source: ROA Headquarters