In the FY 2015 President's Budget (PB), the Bipartisan Budget Act (BBA) provided modest relief from sequestration. However, the Air Force still had to make tough choices and trade-offs in capacity to balance readiness today with advanced capability tomorrow. The FY 2016 PB request also reflects tough choices but seeks to return the Air Force to readiness, modernization and recapitalization funding levels required to execute the defense strategy. Additionally, this budget submission is informed by current geopolitical conditions and ongoing contingency operations. It restores capacity to meet Combatant Commanders' most urgent needs, sustains readiness gains afforded by the BBA, and further invests in nuclear; space; cyber; intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR); and command and control (C2) capabilities.

Airmen bring to the Nation's military portfolio five interdependent and integrated core missions: (1) air and space superiority; (2) ISR; (3) rapid global mobility; (4) global strike; and (5) C2. While the methods for executing these missions have changed over time, the core missions have remained the same since the Air Force's inception. To read more on these core missions, reference the Air Force strategic framework document Global Vigilance, Global Reach, Global Power for America (article link: www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA602197).

The FY 2016 PB request seeks to build and maintain a Total Force - Active, Guard and Reserve - that is both ready for the full range of military operations today and is also capable of executing its core missions against future high-end threats. The choices the Air Force makes in the budget are based upon a long-term strategy and vision, outlined by the Secretary of the Air Force and Chief of Staff of the Air Force's Call to the Future. These tough choices are informed by a realistic assessment of the fiscal and operational environment and set the conditions for the best air force for America in 2016 and beyond.