Congress and the Air Force

The involvement of the Congress in military affairs has always had a significant impact on the Air Force; after all, it was an act of Congress that created the Air Force as a separate service. A positive relationship between these two organizations helps shape the current and future capabilities necessary to defend our nation. However, in an era when all the Services are competing for shares of declining defense budgets, it has become even more important for the Air Force to cultivate a positive relationship with Congress. The problem is that many Air Force members do not have an in-depth understanding of how to interact with Congress in order to build and maintain that relationship to the benefit of the Air Force. Moreover, they don't know where to go to find out that information. The "Congress and the Air Force" Internet web page serves as a "one-stop shop" where Air Force personnel can find vital guidance and direction on how to interact with Congress. It also provides comprehensive background information to help Air Force members better understand the Congressional-Air Force relationship. The web page discusses four major subject areas: (1) the historical congressional-military relationship, (2) the basic legislative process, (3) the Air Force's involvement with Congress, and (4) specific "how to" guidance for interacting with Congress. The need for a "one-stop" guide is clear. The literature on this topic is not readily accessible by the Air Force member out in the field who has a need to know. This research project incorporates statutory, regulatory, and background information from a multitude of sources: books, periodicals, documents, government publications and reports, personal interviews, and multi-media sources. All of the sources the team used can be found in the bibliography. The team also used internal directives and working papers not normally distributed outside of the Air Force Legislative Liaison Office (SAF/LL) to produce a concisely tailor prod