Balancing Agile Combat Support Manpower to Better Meet the Future Security Environment

Abstract

The U.S. Air Force (USAF) is at a potential turning point. It has been engaged in expeditionary operations for more than two decades, developing and adapting its force management concepts to cope with changing demands first in Iraq, then in Afghanistan, and then again in Iraq, as well as elsewhere. As those operations wind down, so do some of the demands that have strained the force for many years, potentially leaving a window within which to reset and prepare for future operations. Recent defense guidance has shifted the focus toward Asia, emphasizing missions that may stress USAF capabilities in new ways. The USAF is currently reexamining its force presentation and management construct, raising questions about how the force will position and prepare itself for the future. Additionally, fiscal pressures make resource trade-offs even more weighty and difficult.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 2014
Accession Number
ADA604875

Entities

People

  • Daniel M. Romano
  • John A. Ausink
  • John G. Drew
  • Patrick Mills
  • Rachel Costello

Organizations

  • RAND Corporation

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Cyber
  • Engineered Resilient Systems
  • Human Systems
  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Air Force Personnel
  • Combat Operations
  • Combat Readiness
  • Combat Support
  • Contingency Operations (Military)
  • Emergency Response
  • Employment
  • Engineers
  • Health Services
  • Humanitarian Assistance
  • Military Operations
  • Military Science
  • National Security
  • Personnel Management
  • Security
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Aerospace logistics and air mobility.
  • Maritime Combat Support and Expeditionary Logistics.