Airmen with the 62d Airlift Wing return from a deployment at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, April 4, 2023. This deployment was the 62d Airlift Wing’s first under the new Air Force Force Generation Model in support of U.S. Central Command, U.S. European Command and U.S. Africa Command operations. (Air Force photo by Senior Airman Callie Norton). The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.
By: FEDweek StaffMost airmen will begin seeing changes in the way they deploy in 24-month cycles, with the possibility that such assignments could happen more frequently. The Air Force Generation model, which the service unveiled recently, will replace the prior expeditionary-force system that was in place during contingency operations of the past 20 years.
The changes are intended to “improve readiness for the high-end fight and to better communicate the capabilities the services can provide to the joint force,” the Air Force said.
The new model would apply to all airmen except those assigned to joint positions. Details would emerge over time. With it, service leadership believes, joint-force commanders would have a better picture of which Air Force assets are most ready to support operations.
“We have been able to get away from taking three airmen away from this base, five airmen from this base, and two airmen from that base, deploying them and expecting them to come together on day one and be a team,” said Lt. Gen. James Slife, headquarters Air Force deputy chief of staff for operations. “We don’t actually think that’s the way the future operating environment is going to permit us to operate.”
The Air Force Generation model, or AFFORGEN, entails four six-month phases of a 24-month rotational cycle: Prepare, Certify, Available and Reset. Airmen would build readiness during the first two phases, be ready for deployment during the third, and reintegrate and reconstitute during the fourth. The process will evolve as lessons learned are assessed.
The new plan calls for the following types of force elements (FE):
• Mission generation – providing combat support and service support in the forms of mobility, air superiority, global precision attack, suppression of enemy air defenses, long range strike, high-altitude ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance), air refueling, intra-theater airlift, and combat search and rescue.
• Open the airbase – to include command and control, force protection, cargo and passenger handling, logistics, airfield operations, force accountability, finance and contracting, host nation support, reception, and bed-down of follow-on forces
• Command and control – to include establishment of an air expeditionary wing C2 structure that includes initial wing operations, maintenance, mission support and medical group commanders as well as air and specialty staffs.
• Establish the airbase – to include provision of sufficient personnel to support missions or weapons systems.
• Operate the airbase – which entails enhancement of combat support and services support capabilities that could extend beyond what a base’s FE normally would provide, as well as bring the base up to full operational capability.
• Robust the airbase – that is, provide any necessary additional combat and combat-service support.
• Demand Force Teams – units with unique capabilities. They would provide specific combat and combat-service support. The Air Force provided several examples: expeditionary medical support system, rapid engineering deployable heavy operations repair squadron, engineers, and combat camera squadrons.
*Video: Jamie Chapman, 2D Audiovisual Squadron.
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