Joint Force Multipliers: America's Airmen Transition to the Resolute Support Mission

Abstract

A nonstandard force of Airmen, both individual augmentees (IA) filling positions on joint manning documents and joint expeditionary tasked (JET) Airmen, is deployed to Afghanistan, helping transition the nation from current combat operations to the Resolute Support mission. This transition focuses the North Atlantic Treaty Organization s efforts more squarely on enabling Afghan forces to provide security for their nation through training, advising and assisting. Airmen supporting the joint force through individual augmentation are long-standing and predate the current Operation Enduring Freedom mission. However, support to the joint force also includes a sizeable number of Airmen who are individually tasked, trained, and deployed to conduct missions not always within their core skill sets. The US Air Force s support to the joint fighting team in Afghanistan is as varied as it is important. Most Air Force support is provided by standard units conducting normal missions within their core capabilities. For the most part, these standard-force Airmen prepare, deploy, and operate as a unit. Requirements for JET Airmen, on the other hand, have evolved from what was once considered a temporary solution to offset other services manpower shortfalls to a permanent element of the Global Force Management Allocation Plan. This means that filling JET taskings will remain a consideration long after Afghanistan when the Resolute Support mission is terminated, and Airmen will continue to undertake them with professionalism and pride. As we transition to a new phase of operations in Afghanistan, now is the time to identify hard lessons won on the battlefield while acknowledging outstanding achievements and contributions to the joint force by nonstandard forces.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 01, 2014
Accession Number
ADA602192

Entities

People

  • Jake Polumbo
  • Wesley Long

Organizations

  • Air University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Human Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aeromedical Evacuation
  • Afghanistan
  • Air Force
  • Battlefields
  • Combatant Commanders
  • Department Of Defense
  • Deployment
  • Health Services
  • Lessons Learned
  • Local Governments
  • Military Science
  • Personnel Management
  • Students
  • Task Forces
  • Training
  • Transitions
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Maritime Combat Support and Expeditionary Logistics.
  • Military and Counterinsurgency Studies.
  • Occupational Health and Safety.