WASHINGTON — Lt. Gen. John P. Healy, chief of the Air Force Reserve and commander of the Air Force Reserve Command, told House and Senate Appropriations defense subcommittees that the Reserve remains a strategic, cost-effective force providing readiness, depth and global interoperability for the Department of the Air Force, as he testified on the fiscal 2027 budget.
“Distinguished members of the subcommittee, it is an honor to be here today one last time with my senior enlisted advisor, Chief Master Sgt. Israel Nuñez, representing 67,000 Air Force Reserve Airmen,” Healy said in his opening statement.
Healy emphasized the Reserve is not a backup force but a strategic advantage, delivering experienced Airmen and surge capacity capable of responding to global crises within 72 hours.
“We are a strategic advantage and a cost-effective investment, not a backup force,” Healy said. “Our Airmen’s unmatched experience provides the strategic depth to deter our adversaries.”
Healy told lawmakers that when properly resourced, the Air Force Reserve delivers mission-ready Airmen at a fraction of the cost, operating installations 28 days a month with about 25% of the force.
“We deliver mission-ready Airmen for only 30 cents on the dollar,” Healy said, noting fiscal 2025 closeout was the best on record. “Your support and our data-driven tools enabled precise resource management and risk-informed decisions.”
Healy stressed that proven financial discipline, paired with full and predictable funding, is essential to sustaining readiness, rapid mobilization and modernization. He pointed to near-perfect execution of prior-year appropriations as evidence that consistent investment directly enables operational readiness.
“Fully funding operations and maintenance and Reserve personnel appropriations is the key because we’ve proven what that investment delivers,” Healy said. “Any decrease creates real challenges, especially as we balance quality-of-life programs and new weapon systems.”
Modernization and aircraft availability remain key challenges, Healy said, as aging platforms and persistent supply chain constraints strain the force.
“Seventy-seven percent of our fleet is over 39 years old,” he said. “Supply chain shortages threaten aircraft availability, and a $1.5 billion backlog means requirements are rapidly outpacing resources.”
When asked about the National Guard and Reserve Equipment Appropriation being included in the presidential budget for the first time in fiscal 2027, Healy said he had concerns.
“In recent years, the Air Force Reserve has executed about $155 million in NGREA,” Healy said. “But as that funding is programmed over five years, inflation flattens its impact. Another concern is that authorization funding may not reach the Reserve.”
He urged Congress to return NGREA to its previous status as a dedicated congressional appropriation, calling it vital to sustaining modernization agility and purchasing power.
Healy also warned against disproportionate divestment of Reserve aircraft, saying it risks hollowing out future combat capability.
“Over the Future Years Defense Program, the Air Force Reserve is projected to lose 20.1% of its inventory,” he said. “As our crews demonstrate their value today in Operation Epic Fury, disproportionate divestment is an unnecessary national security risk.”
Addressing duty status reform, Healy said the issue has long affected reservists.
“We’ve been working on duty status reform for more than 20 years,” Healy said. “We finally have viable options, and we look forward to working with Congress to get it done.”
Healy highlighted the Reserve Allies and Partner Program as a key enabler of global interoperability, noting the program conducted 71 strategic engagements last year on a near-zero budget.
“National security depends on seamless interoperability with allies and partners,” he said. “A dedicated $1.8 million budget is a cost-effective investment that helps share the burden of deterrence.”
Healy concluded by thanking Congress for its support and reaffirming the Air Force Reserve’s role as an efficient, accessible and lethal force.
“The Air Force Reserve is efficient, accessible, experienced and lethal,” Healy said. “We need your support to maintain this advantage.”