JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas –
The 433rd Airlift Wing at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland plans to add several C-5M aircraft to its fleet in 2016 while beginning to retire 16 C-5A aircraft in 2013. In addition, proposed future plans include closing the C-5A training school.
Pentagon officials announced the force structure changes Feb. 3 as part of a larger plan called the "Air Force Strategy and Force Structure Overview."
"The Air Force is posturing for the future in a way that maintains our ability to be agile, flexible and ready to engage a full range of contingencies and threats," Lt. Col. Adam Willis, 433rd Operations Group commander, said. "In that regard, the Air Force plans to retire 27 C-5As, 16 of those from the Alamo Wing, over the next few years."
The Air Force cited eliminating the C-5A model will avert high sustainment costs for an aircraft with less reliability than the C-5M. To complete the transition, the Air Force plans to transfer eight C-5Ms from Westover, Mass. to the 433rd Airlift Wing in 2016.
These changes come as part of the Air Force's larger plans in support of the new defense strategy.
"We're going to do everything we can to take care of our people as these changes occur," Lt. Gen. Charles E. Stenner Jr., chief of Air Force Reserve at the Pentagon, said. "DoD's goal is to balance force structure reductions with our ability to project power globally and to maintain our force readiness."
According to Air Force officials, the Air Force is refocusing its capabilities to comply with President Obama's new defense strategy and proposed budget cuts scheduled to be released later this month.
In order for the planned changes to take effect, they must be approved by Congress and signed into law by the president.
To view the Air Force Overview listing all of the Air Force's planned changes, visit www.af.mil.