Roa Resolutions - Brief Article

ROA's National Resolutions Committee, chaired by COL Alfred Diaz, USAR, (Ret.) devoted considerable time and effort in bringing resolutions to the ROA National Council for consideration and action at Mid-Winter.

The Resolutions Committee considered eight timely filed proposed resolutions and two time-sensitive proposals (one of the time-sensitive proposals was withdrawn by the originator). Two of the proposals submitted were recommended for adoption by the National Resolutions Committee. One of the two considered was amended on the floor, and both were adopted by the National Council. The text of new resolutions is as follows:

PROCUREMENT AND ASSIGNMENT OF STRATEGIC AIRLIFT AIRCRAFT

WHEREAS, military strength is ineffective without the capability to deploy sufficient forces, equipment, and supplies into and within a theater of operations on time; and

WHEREAS, sufficient strategic and tactical airlift capability decreases the requirement for overseas basing of forces and supplies and increases the effectiveness of deterrence; and

WHEREAS, the United States must be prepared to deploy and fight in two simultaneous regional conflicts, and deployment of a single Army or Marine Corps brigade-size force requires the employment of at least 100 C-17 equivalent aircraft in accordance with the recently released Mobility Requirements Study-2005; and

WHEREAS, the United States Air Force, Army and Marine Corps have examined the future airlift requirements and have identified the C-17 and/or the refurbished C-5 as capable of satisfying the total airlift mission in our changing world; and

WHEREAS, the ongoing retirement of C-141 aircraft will create an airlift shortfall and a substantial decrease in the number of aircraft available for world-wide operations; and

WHEREAS, the retirement of Air Reserve Forces C-141 aircraft, without any planned replacement, will lead to the loss of approximately 5,000 highly skilled and expensively trained aviators, maintainers and support personnel from neighborhoods across the United States;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Reserve Officers Association of the United States, chartered by Congress, urges the Congress to support the national security strategy of the United States through procurement of necessary airlift aircraft and assignment of these aircraft to the Air Force airlift units losing aircraft, missions, and personnel due to the retirement of C-141 aircraft.

NAVY-UNIQUE, FLEET-ESSENTIAL AIRCRAFT

WHEREAS, the U.S. Navy has unique, fleet-essential airlift requirements; and

WHEREAS, the Navy's current fleet of C-9B aircraft is not stage 3 noise compliant, does not have the most up-to-date avionics, and is approaching the end of its economic and safe-operations-life constraints; and

WHEREAS, six replacement C-40A aircraft (a convertible freight/passenger version of the civilian Boeing 737-700C) have been ordered, with the first to be delivered in April 2001; and

WHEREAS, the procurement of additional aircraft to achieve economic order quantities would reduce procurement costs as well as C-9B operating and support costs; and

WHEREAS, the operation of the Navy-unique, fleet-essential aircraft by the Naval Reserve makes this an extremely cost-effective program;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Reserve Officers Association of the United States, chartered by Congress, urges the Congress to expedite the procurement of C-40A aircraft to replace aging and obsolescent C-9B aircraft operated by the Naval Reserve.

COPYRIGHT 2001 Reserve Officers Association of the United States
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