Air Force Monitoring Urges for Defined Timelines and Evaluation Standards in Shift to New Troop Production Strategy
Straight up and to the point:
The Government Accountability Office has called out the Air Force for not providing enough answers about their new deployment models, AFFORGEN and Deployable Combat Wings. The GAO believes the service hasn't put enough thought into the details, risking issues like staff shortages at bases when units deploy.
In a report released on November 26, the GAO acknowledged that the old model of deploying individuals from multiple wings and bases needed a change. But they're concerned the Air Force hasn't thought through the new models, especially around base staffing to keep things running smoothly when units deploy.
Air Force leaders have acknowledged these shortcomings, but they're moving forward with implementing these concepts, touting the urgency to start practicing without waiting for all the details.
The GAO's report identified several ongoing implementation challenges for the Air Force's plans, including not completing an assessment of minimum U.S. base staffing needs, and not aligning with best practices in reforming the deployment model, such as using data and evidence to back up plans and managing and monitoring progress.
To address the GAO's concerns, the agency made four recommendations, focusing on creating a plan with timeframes, completing a service-wide assessment of base staffing needs, assessing potential gaps and risks, and issuing an AFFORGEN implementation plan that includes leading reform practices. The Air Force will be reporting back to Congress on actions taken to address these recommendations.
Insights:
The Air Force's new deployment models aim to standardize and improve readiness and deployment processes. However, concerns about potential staffing gaps and shortages remain. To tackle these challenges, the Air Force is focusing on workforce agility, retention, and robust sustainment support, as well as implementing data-driven retention tools, career development programs, and employee well-being initiatives. infrastructure investments, and workforce growth and well-being to maintain a motivated, capable team ready to handle both operational and sustainment challenges. The Air Force is proactively addressing potential gaps through these strategies, even though the operational models inherently create new challenges for base staffing during major deployments.
- The ongoing implementation of the Air Force's new deployment models, AFFORGEN and Deployable Combat Wings, raise concerns about base security, as the GAO highlights potential staff shortages that might occur when units deploy.
- In the realm of policy-and-legislation and politics, the GAO has made recommendations to the Air Force, emphasizing the need for a plan with timeframes, a service-wide assessment of base staffing needs, risk assessment, and the inclusion of leading reform practices in their AFFORGEN implementation plan.
- Despite the challenges in base staffing during major deployments, the Air Force is focusing on several strategies, including workforce agility, data-driven retention tools, career development programs, employee well-being initiatives, infrastructure investments, and workforce growth and well-being, to maintain a capable and motivated team in the face of general-news events related to space and aircraft operations.
