Guard and Reserve Participation in the Air Mobility System. Roles and Constraints
Abstract
The objective of this study was to understand the past roles of the Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard within the mobility system. These two forces comprise what is referred to as the Air Reserve Component (ARC). In addition, the study clarifies the source of the problems being faced by Air Mobility Command (AMC) in the post-Cold War operating environment and highlights the constraints on both AMC and the reserve forces in achieving greater levels of support from the ARC for the peacetime mobility mission. Mobility forces are being called on as never before to support U.S. foreign policy objectives. The signs of this increased activity, however, are found not so much in an increase in the gross numbers of missions, sorties, or flying hours, as in a shift to a greater proportion of shorter-notice, high- priority missions. In the past, these types of missions have been flown mainly by the active duty force, providing the air mobility system its quick-reaction capability. As the proportion of short-notice missions has increased, however, the capabilities of active duty aircrews and aircraft have been stretched to the limit in fulfilling peacetime requirements. In the future, as more of the force structure moves into the ARC, this role can be expected to grow increasingly burdensome, if past concepts of the roles of the active and reserve components remain unchanged.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1993
- Accession Number
- ADA480075
Entities
People
- C. A. Moore
- C. Replogle
- D. Randle
- D. Todd
- M. Shanley
- P. Killingsworth
- R. Berg
Organizations
- RAND Corporation