INTRODUCTION: Today, the United States confronts a dynamic international environment marked by security challenges of unprecedented diversity. Along with our Joint partners, the Air Force will defend and advance the interests of the United States by providing unique capabilities to succeed in current conflicts while preparing to counter future threats to our national security. Over the last year, the Air Force made great strides in strengthening the precision and reliability that is our hallmark. STRATEGIC FOCUS: This year offers an opportunity to fully integrate our Service posture with a new National Security Strategy, the Department of Defense Quadrennial Defense Review, and strategic reviews of the Nation's space, nuclear, and ballistic missile defense postures. Balance is the defining principle linking this budget request to our strategic guidance. In the 2010 Quadrennial Defense Review, the Secretary of Defense established four U.S. defense objectives to guide our current actions as well as to plan for the future: prevail in today's wars, prevent and deter conflict, prepare to defeat adversaries and succeed in a wide range of contingencies, and preserve and enhance the all-volunteer force. In accordance with this guidance, the Air Force developed the 2011 budget request to enhance our capabilities to meet these objectives, while balancing risk appropriately. As the future security environment will require a range of agile and flexible capabilities, investments for today's conflict will also support our efforts to prepare, prevent, and prevail, and preserve well into the future.
