The senior enlisted advisors of the Air Force and Space Force reminded senators Feb. 11 that preserving - and improving - quality of life for military personnel is just as essential in defending the nation as high-tech weaponry and tactics.
"Sixth-generation platforms need Airmen who have a sixth-generation quality of life," Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force David R. Wolfe, told a Senate Armed Services Subcommittee.
"People and platforms are not competing variables; they are two parts of the same lethality equation. If one is weak, the entire system fails," he said.
Wolfe appeared before the Armed Services Personnel Subcommittee joined by Chief Master Sgt. of the Space Force John F. Bentivegna, as well as senior enlisted advisors from the Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The hearing was the latest installment in an annual ritual in which lawmakers gain insights and information from the military's senior enlisted leaders. As in past hearings, similar topics emerged, including the status of housing and the battle to eliminate mold. There were questions as well about the availability - and quality - of childcare, efforts to eliminate and combat sexual abuse, and how quality of life impacts recruiting and retention, among other topics. Also important, the enlisted leaders said, was ensuring a living wage and uninterrupted pay.
While thanking Congress for providing a recent bump in pay, Bentivegna said, "we must continue to ensure compensation remains responsive to the real-market conditions our Guardians encounter.
"Beyond direct compensation, we know that the well-being of our Guardians is paramount to readiness. Access to affordable childcare and food security, for example, are essential to quality of life," he said.
While echoing the senior enlisted advisors on many points, Bentivegna also noted the importance of food security and efforts under current law to help personnel have access to and afford enough food.
"To continue this positive trend, both quality of life and quality of service challenges must remain our combined focus," he said. "We must continue to invest in flexible solutions to strengthen licensing portability for spouses and increase telehealth service access for members and our families."
Wolfe, Bentivegna along with the other enlisted advisors all agreed that there is a direct and crucial link between readiness and ensuring quality of life for active-duty personnel and their families.
Airmen and Guardians were described as sophisticated and advanced weapon systems.
"Like any advanced system, it requires precise maintenance to function under pressure," Wolfe told senators. "This maintenance is measured in the stability of their family, education, spousal employment, the quality of their housing, and their access to care. If our Airmen are distracted by family instability or financial hardship, their performance degrades. In our profession, degraded performance can mean mission failure and lives lost."
The enlisted leaders agreed that although progress has been made on some issues, including the state of housing and barracks, they acknowledged that more work must be done.
Wolfe told senators his goal was to provide them "an honest accounting of where we are succeeding, where we are facing challenges, and where we require your support."
Progress has been realized to add capacity for childcare, he said, noting that 17 of 35 military construction requirements have been funded. That effort will reduce "the projected childcare space shortfall by over 60% when complete. However, despite this work, nearly 2,600 children remain on the unmet need waitlist," he said.
In an effort to improve substandard housing and especially remove mold from buildings, Wolfe said the Air Force has invested $1.1 billion in the last four years to attack those longstanding problems. To date, 149 projects have received money with another 31 scheduled to collect funding this year.
Additionally, both the Air Force and Space Force have strengthened the services' Tenant Bill of Rights and mechanisms for resolving disputes with landlords.
While the 2-hour hearing was polite, senators directed a number of questions about efforts to reduce the waiting list at childcare centers and to improve mental health and reduce suicides. Wolfe and Bentivegna said there has been progress on making childcare available thanks in part to additional funding Congress provided. But they acknowledged more must be done on that issue as well as on ensuring there are sufficient tools to reduce suicides and mental health services available to any Airman or Guardian who needs it.
