Continuous Bomber Presence restructuring saves $12 million for DoD

  • Published
  • By Megan Meyer
  • Air Force Global Strike Command Public Affairs
BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La --  Recently Air Force Global Strike Command and Pacific Air Forces teamed up to restructure logistics support and aircraft rotations for the continuous bomber presence in the Pacific, saving more than $12 million annually in costs to the Department of Defense.

"The continuous bomber presence in the Pacific is vital in assuring our regional allies," said Lt. Gen. James M. Kowalski, commander of Air Force Global Strike Command. "It is important we support U.S. Pacific Command in this critical mission."

The first of these logistics changes involve the B-52's Mobility Readiness Spares Package kits--8 semi-trucks of critical parts necessary for day-to-day flying. These kits will now be left in place at Guam between deployments, rather than sending each kit home with its owning squadron, according to officials.

One independent MRSP kit is assigned to each of Air Force Global Strike Command's combat B-52 squadrons at Barksdale and Minot Air Force Base, N.D., said Chief Master Sgt. Jeffrey Buxton, weapons system team superintendent for Global Strike Command A4/7. Kits previously remained with their assigned squadron, whether that squadron was deployed or stateside in the continental U.S., he said.

"We looked at the process and said 'why are we moving the kits from CONUS to Guam and back, rather than moving the kit left behind between the stateside squadrons?,'" Finch said. By avoiding sea or air transport for the MRSP package to Guam, and instead funding the ride for the kit from Barksdale to Minot and back by land, a $12 million cost is avoided per year. Minot and Barksdale's squadrons rotate in and out of Guam every six months, on average.

In addition to the cost avoidance associated with transportation, Pacific Air Forces helped Global Strike Command by funding additional standardization of the MRSP kits between the two CONUS bases. Minot's MRSP kits have traditionally been housed in internal aircraft/helicopter slingable container units, while Barksdale's kits were not. PACAF's funding of these containers avoided an additional cost to Global Strike Command of $90,000 and further standardized MRSP kits between stateside squadrons, officials said.

Global Strike Command's four B-52 combat squadrons have been supporting the continuous bomber presence since 2004. U.S. Pacific Command officials said they routinely evaluate the command's readiness and reposition forces as needed to ensure they maintain both the operational and support capabilities necessary to meet the obligations of national defense.