Political Quotes

“What I am about to provide to the body, I think we need to absorb and be aware of. This study that Senator Leahy is talking about, an analysis of the effectiveness and cost, is an ongoing endeavor. I would like to know more about what the study yields before we make what I think are pretty Draconian cuts in the Air National Guard. But this is what we know before the study. This information is already in: According to an Air Guard briefing, the Air National Guard, operating under today's deployment constraints, is still 53 percent of the cost of an equivalent Active-Duty major command. The Air National Guard costs $2.25 billion less annually than a similarly sized Active Air Force command. That is $6.2 million a day in savings. After 20 years of service, our average enlisted airman costs nearly $80,000 a year in total compensation. On the other hand, an identical Air National Guard enlisted airman costs about $10,000 a year, about an 85-percent savings. Over a 20-year career, an Air National Guard airman will save the country about $1 million compared to an active-duty airman. At 22 years, an active-duty pilot will cost about $150,000 in compensation. On the other hand, an Air National Guard pilot at 22 years costs the taxpayers about $30,000 in total compensation. Over a 26-year career, an Air National Guard pilot will save the country nearly $2 million compared to an active-duty pilot. Active-duty pilots retire on average with 22 years of service.…”