As the U.S. Air Force faces end strength reductions and force structure changes required by recent Department of Defense decisions, it becomes more difficult to support the air and space expeditionary force (AEF) construct—a tailored, sustainable force able to respond quickly to national security interests, as needed—using current force employment practices. The Air Force continues to strive to align the Total Force with its primary function—that is, to organize, train, and equip aviation forces primarily for prompt and sustained offensive and defensive air operations¹—in the most effective way possible with available resources. However, without Air Force...

This chapter focuses on the first part of the analysis, understanding the standards-based differences between ANG and active component aircraft maintenance productivity. Before beginning the investigation into the key factors that could affect productivity, this chapter will provide some background information on how the productivity issue was uncovered.

According to a 2000 RAND report on pilot shortages, the Air Force is facing the largest peacetime pilot shortage in its history, with about half of the shortfall occurring in fighter pilots.¹ That research identifies low experience levels in operational units as one of the main drivers of the shortfall. Unless sorties...

In the second part of the analysis, we evaluated active associate staffing requirements. Having identified the key factors and how they affect maintenance unit productivity, we used these insights to evaluate options for establishing an active associate unit for which the goal is to produce trained pilots in the most efficient manner possible. This evaluation includes unit-level daily flying programs and shift operations using simulation models and rules-based applications developed for this analysis.

RAND was asked to develop options for various maintenance workforce compositions based on the proposed flying hour programs and templates provided by the TFI offices. The TFI...

The ANG is consistently able to generate more peacetime flying hours per full-time-equivalent maintainer than is the active component—in the case of the F-16, more than twice as many. There are several factors that contribute to this difference in productivity. First, ANG units possess a highly experienced workforce, not only in maintenance but in many career fields. Historically, ANG maintainers remain in the same location much longer than their active component counterparts, and this stability allows them to develop deep and broad job knowledge. Because of their extensive knowledge, many ANG personnel are cross trained and cross utilized. ANG...