10 U.S.C. § 9517: Level of readiness of Civil Reserve Air Fleet carriers

The Civil Reserve Air Fleet program is an important component of the military airlift system in support of United States defense and foreign policies, and it is the policy of the United States to maintain the readiness and interoperability of Civil Reserve Air Fleet carriers by providing appropriate levels of peacetime airlift augmentation to maintain networks and infrastructure, exercise the system, and interface effectively within the military airlift system. The National Airlift Policy states that ‘[t]he national defense airlift objective is to ensure that military and civil airlift resources will be able to meet defense mobilization and deployment requirements in support of US defense and foreign policies.’. The National Airlift Policy also emphasizes the need for ‘dialogue and cooperation with our national aviation industry,’ and it states that ‘[i]t is of particular importance that the aviation industry be apprised by the Department of Defense of long-term requirements for airlift in support of national defense.’. The National Airlift Policy emphasizes the importance of both military and civil airlift resources and their interdependence in the fulfillment of the national defense airlift objective, and it states that the ‘Department of Defense shall establish appropriate levels for peacetime cargo airlift augmentation in order to promote the effectiveness of Civil Reserve Air Fleet and provide training within the military airlift system.’. Civil Reserve Air Fleet carriers continue to be an important component of the military airlift system in support of United States defense and foreign policies.”