Are You a "Good Value?"

When we as the Air National Guard get the opportunity to deploy, we invariably are compared to our active duty counterparts concerning what we bring to the fight. In today's world of dwindling fiscal resources, getting a "good value" is just as important in what we do as it is in the corporate or government world.

Here are some facts, courtesy of the Director of the Air National Guard, that highlight why we should be proud to be the "best value" there is in military effectiveness:

We are 35 percent of U.S. Air Force capabilities for 6 percent of the budget.

A reserve component retirement costs 10 percent of an active duty retirement.

An average of 30 percent of all deployed Air Force aircraft are filled by ANG units.

Due to dual use airfields and community basing, $4 million in taxpayer money gains $12 billion in airfield facilities.

The ANG operates 90 percent of the U.S. air defense alert sites.

The director isn't the only one noticing our value to the nation. Here are some quotes from others on what we bring to the table though our efficiency and ability:

"... We find that the total amount budgeted is approximately $51,000 for each reserve component reserve member and $223,000 for each active component service member."- Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller).

"When ... personnel appropriations are compared, it is striking to note that Air Reserve Component members use about 14 percent of appropriated personnel funds, but perform over half of all Air Force missions."- The Heritage Foundation.

Many of you may be asking why this information is important to the individual member of the 190th. All of these facts are related to value and effectiveness and were not developed overnight. It took many years of training, effort and experience to become the model of efficiency that the Guard often is.

The way you do your duty both here and while deployed has a direct impact on the future viability and success of the Air National Guard. Without quality units in the Guard, none of the information cited in this article can be maintained. The current members of the 190th and every other Guard unit inherited units that were developed by a long line of predecessors that believed in the Guard way of business.

Remember, as members of the Air Guard, we can't individually control how much we get funded, but each one of us has a direct role in maintaining the historical effectiveness and value that the ANG brings to the table.

With the shift of missions and the reduction of aircraft and resources in the military, every member of the 190th should be willing and prepared to not only maintain efficiency and flexibility, but to share the story of what we can do. The Guard is the best value going, and we should strive to remain that way in the future.