Defense Management. Fully Developed Management Framework Needed to Guide Air Force Future Total Force Efforts

Abstract

The Air Force used an iterative process to develop its 20-year force structure plan with periodic review and oversight by senior-level Department of Defense (DOD) and Air Force officials; however, stakeholders have different views on the extent to which the Air Force sought and addressed input from process participants. The plan included a reduction in the legacy fighter fleet residing largely within the Air National Guard and the acquisition of new aircraft such as the F/A-22 and the Joint Strike Fighter. In late 2004, a department-wide shift in funding priorities reduced the number of F/A-22 aircraft to be acquired and resulted in changes to the Air Force's plan. Perspectives on how well this process worked vary depending on the role and level of involvement of each organization. For example, Air Force Air Staff officials viewed the process as fully participatory and noted that the Air National Guard Bureau and the Air Force's major commands had direct representation on the force structure development team. In contrast, Air National Guard officials expressed concerns about their ability to influence decisions and 7 of the 10 adjutants general whom GAO contacted believed that they did not have sufficient opportunity to influence the decisions. Because documentation of the proceedings of key meetings was limited, GAO was unable to evaluate the extent to which stakeholders influenced the process. During the same period, the Air National Guard began a separate effort -- the Vanguard Engagement Strategy -- to solicit input from the states on future roles and missions for the Guard and to prepare its units to respond to anticipated force structure reductions.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 2006
Accession Number
ADA443356

Entities

People

  • Alissa Czyz
  • George Delgado
  • Hugh Brady
  • Janet St. Laurent
  • John Clary
  • Kenneth Patton
  • Nicole Harms
  • Penney Harwell
  • Robert Repasky
  • Terry Richardson

Organizations

  • United States Government Accountability Office

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Autonomy
  • Human Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Active Duty
  • Aerial Warfare
  • Air Force
  • Air National Guard
  • Aircrafts
  • Base Closures
  • Department Of Defense
  • Fighter Aircraft
  • Governments
  • Homeland Defense
  • Lessons Learned
  • Management Personnel
  • National Security
  • Organizational Structure
  • United States
  • United States Government
  • Warfare

Fields of Study

  • Environmental science

Readers

  • Aerospace Engineering
  • Defense Acquisition Program Management
  • Military Mobilization and Reserve Forces Studies.