Addressing the delegates to the Air Force Association’s 1999 National Convention and Aerospace Technology Exposition, Gen. Michael E. Ryan said he was optimistic about the future of the Air Force. “The matrix of our aerospace realm and responsibilities will continue to expand,” he said, using a formulation his father, Gen. John D. Ryan, who also served as chief of staff, had used some 30 years ago. “We will be called upon to protect our interests in space as we do in air, and to continue to meld our capabilities into a seamless integrated force.”

Over the last twelve months, Ryan said, “the United States Air Force hasn’t missed many opportunities to respond to crises and contingencies in a substantial, significant, and successful way.” He pointed to the Desert Fox operation against Iraq last December, followed by the Kosovo campaign in March, and a number of other humanitarian operations.

Ryan said there is “no question about the expeditionary capabilities of this Air Force, and it’s incredibly dedicated airmen who make it happen. They serve above and beyond.” He noted that in the buildup to Operation Allied Force, the Air Force deployed 17,000 people and over 500 aircraft. “Just deploying and positioning the force was a monumental effort,” he said. Even before the buildup, the Air Force was spread across the continent of Europe and Asia.

Almost 60 percent of those serving in the Air Force have entered the force in the last 10 years, Ryan said. “They have known little else than high optempo.” Citing the expeditionary nature of Operation Allied Force, he praised the entire Air Force team emphasizing the critical role of Guard and Reserve forces, which were an integral part of the operation.

“For the United State Air Force, this was a major theater war. By percentage of force in tankers, bombers, fighters, and ISR [Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance] assets, Allied Force, combined with our other contingency deployments, was bigger than Desert Storm or, for that matter, Vietnam,” Ryan said.

Ryan had high praise for the air commanders at the strategic and operational levels during Allied Force. Gen. John Jumper, commander of US Air Forces in Europe and Lt. Gen. Michael Short, who served as the NATO operational air commander, “set the conditions for success while assuring that the force was used effectively.”

Although airpower could not directly stop the “door-to-door infantry thuggery that was driving the Kosovars from their homes” nor “directly stop the slaughter and war crimes that were taking place in isolated villages,” Ryan noted that the air commanders successfully argues that to stop the carnage you have to go to the root cause — and that was Milosevic and his repressive regime, the “strategic center of gravity.”

Ryan said “this is an important time in the history of our Air Force.” He added that the “undisputed value aerospace power brings to our nation” is “appreciated by our national leaders — and feared by our foes.”

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FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Stephen P. Aubin, Director of Policy and Communications
(703) 247-5850
E-mail: saubin@afa.org