AEF
Air and Space Expeditionary Force1
Overview
Setting the Stage for Change/Background The Air and Space Expeditionary Force Concept Air and Space Expeditionary Force Structure
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Containment… to EngagementContainment… to Engagement
Setting the stage…Cold War Influence
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Cold War Air Force Today’s Air Force
Containment Engagement
ExtensiveForward Basing
Robust Infrastructure
Large ForceStructure
1/3 Fewer People
4 Times More Deployments
2/3 FewerOverseas Bases
“Bring your own” Infrastructure
Airmen Stayed at Home
A New ChallengeUNCLASSIFIED
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Overseas BasingDuring The Cold War
Alconbury LakenheathBentwaters MildenhallChicksands MolesworthCroughton Upper HeyfordFairford WethersfieldGreenham Common WoodbridgeHigh Wycombe
Bitburg SembachHahn SpangdahlemHessishe-Oldendorf TempelhofLindsey WuescheimRamstein ZweibrueckenRhein Main
Lajes FieldZaragozaTorrejonMoron Dhahran
IzmirAnkaraIncirlikPirinclik
IraklionHellenikon
AvianoSan VitoComiso
SoesterbergFlorennes
Clark
Andersen
Misawa Yokota
Kadena
OsanKunsan
HowardAlbrook
Thule
Cold War Air Force - ContainmentContainment Strategy5
Overseas BasingToday…70 Reduction
LakenheathMildenhallMolesworth
Croughton
Lajes Field
Incirlik
Aviano
Andersen
Misawa Yokota
Kadena
OsanKunsan
Thule Spangdahlem
Ramstein
Post Cold WarReduced force structure and fewer forward locations
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AEF Basics Contingency Basing
Al JabarShaikh IsaCamp DohaAli Al SalemTaif Prince SultanSeeb InternationalAl Dahfra
RotaMoron
BrindisiRiminiCerviaGioia Del ColleSigonellaFalconra/Ancona
Istres Tuzla
Taszar
Diego Garcia
Tirana
Akrotiri
Budapest
GeilenkirchenRhein MainEinsiedlerhof
Brize NortonFairford
Thessaloniki
Manta
CuracaoAruba
21st Century AF engagement requires expeditionary basing7
JTF Full AcctgJTF Bravo
JIATF East
Arrival Zone
Transit ZoneHaiti
JIATF South
Northern Watch
Deliberate ForgeJoint Forge
Southern WatchDe-MiningAble Sentry
Safe Border
De-MiningDe-Mining
Korean Theater
Laser StrikeSource Zone
De-Mining
De-Mining
Over 70,000 mobility deployments to 140
countries
Over 1000 counter-narcotics sorties to
Latin America ( 65 in 1999 )
Over 100 Denton
Amendment humanitarian relief missions to 30 countries
Nearly 50 Southern Watch
deployments and over 15,000
sorties flown
Over 30 deployments to Northern Watch and over 14,000 sorties
flown
Forward BasesCurrent Ops
Current Peace Operations
Post-Cold War Ops
Legend
Almost 8,000 Airmen standing watch in
Korea
Over two million daily rations delivered in
Afghanistan
Global Engagement Averages
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Post Cold War Reality … 45% less end strength – 657K to 320K 45% less overseas – 107K to 59K 70% overseas basing infrastructure gone –
from 50 down to 15 Regional hotspots 400% increase in OCONUS ops tempo
Post Gulf War presence mission imbalance Only 12% of eligible airmen carrying the load
(80K of 657K) Retention and recruitment concerns rising Combat capability eroding Limited predictability and stability
WHAT DID WE DO TO CHANGE THIS?
The Need for AEF
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Beginning in 1999, the AEF concept became the “Air Force’s guiding vision for how we organize, train, and equip to deploy and sustain our Air Forces for military operations oversees”
…should provide: A New Playbook to meet combatant commander’s needs Smarter Use of all resources Better integration of the Total Force Method to quantify “cost of engagement”
What is an AEF? Concept
Bottom Line:It’s how we present AF Forces to the Combatant Commander10
A Deployed Force
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A More Deployed Force
On average there are 14,600 AF members deployed during non–crisis state (35,000 currently 07) 12
AEF pair is a collection of combat capability that allows us to better manage the combat employment
10 / 4 / 20 10 AEFs (5 pairs) 4-month rotation 20-month AEF cycle
* Some career fields are forced to use 6 month rotations
Structure of an AEF
During ‘Steady State’ battle rhythm the AEF provides predictability and stability to our troops and their families
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Band “A” 4 months/16 months Band “B” 6 months/2 years Band “C” 6 months/18 months Band “D” 6 months/12 months Band “E” 6 months/6 months
Structure of an AEF
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The AEF Cycle(‘Steady State’ Battle Rhythm)
Normal Training Period
Maintenance & Modifications, Composite Force Exercises, Inspections, etc.
Site-specific
Deployment
Preparation
PreparationPeriod
14 Months 2 Months
Key to maintaining and sustaining combat capabilityKey to maintaining and sustaining combat capability
• Maintains a sustained high-level of readiness• Facilitates better reconstitution / training• Preserves predictability / stability• Helps minimize retention impacts
A 20-month CYCLE with one 4-month ROTATION
CYCLE
Employ
Deployment
Eligibility
DEPLOYMENT Window
4 Months
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AerospaceUnits
UNIT
UNIT
UNIT
UNIT
RegionalComponents
NAF NAF
NAF NAF
TheaterWarfightingCommands
MAJCOM MAJCOM MAJCOM MAJCOM
AerospaceExpeditionary
Units
10 AEFs -- A Total Force Solution
ARC FORCESACTIVE FORCESACTIVE FORCES ACTIVE FORCES
Air Force Organizational Structure… Total Force In Action……..
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AEF ComparisonJoint Ops in Action
12 Carrier Strike Groups 10 Divisions/28 Brigades
10 AEFs = 5 pairs 17
2 Air Superiority Squadron (SQ) 4-6 Multi-Role Fighter SQ
Precision Guided Munitions (PGM) Close Air Support (CAS) Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD)
2 Bomb SQ Conventional Air Launched Cruise Missile
(CALCM) Precision Guided Munition (PGM) Maritime Operations
2 Theater Airlift SQ 2 Air Refueling SQ Operations Support Aircraft (OSA),
Low Density / High Demand (LD/HD) Aircraft
Expeditionary Combat Support (ECS)
Average # personnel in pair: 45,000 Average # aircraft in pair: 400
Typical AEF CompositionTypical AEF Pair
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Every Fighter and Bomber Squadron on-call or deployed--120 days every 20 months…(exceptions like the stealth)
457 Ftr Sq
175th Ftr SqSD ANG
94th Ftr SqLangley AFB
93rd Ftr SqHomestead AFR
Precision Munitions
55th Ftr SqShaw AFB
Air Def Suppression
466th Ftr SqHill AFB
Precision Munitions
174th Ftr SqIowa ANG
457th Ftr SqFort Worth AFR
Precision Munitions
AEF
7th Bomb WingDyess AFB
Aviation Alignment - AEF #8
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Expeditionary Combat Support Alignment - AEF #8
93 FS GM
ECS Contribution from 75 Active, 18 ANG, 11 AFRC Bases
= AFRES= ANG= ACTIVE
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20 Month Cycle
AEF 1 & 2AEF 1 & 2
AEF 3 & 4AEF 3 & 4
AEF 5 & 6AEF 5 & 6
AEF 7 & 8AEF 7 & 8
Normal Training & Exercises Spin-up/ Deploy Prep AEF 9 & 10AEF 9 & 10
Jan08 May 08 Sept 08 Jan 09 Sept 09
AEF Rotation Cycle
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When We Are SuccessfulOur Expeditionary Airmen
Think light and leanKnow their teammates
Are truly “mission briefed”Have extensive job continuity
Have families that are just as “ready”Have increased situational awareness (SA)
Know how the AF works and where they fit inKnow who’s in charge and where to get support
Are self-sustaining or efficiently sustained via reachbackUnderstand standardization makes them “plug and playable”
Have access to, and are rated against, measures of success
Operate in any environment and despite “fog and friction” of war, still accomplish the combat mission … that’s “expeditionary”
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Background, concept, and structure AEF Transition began 1 Oct 99 AEF concept has and will evolve AEF rotations allow us to:
Manage resources better and level playing field for deployments Be responsive to Combatant Commander’s airpower needs Take care of our people -- Predictability and Stability Level the playing field for deployments
Max 120 days/year TDY still the AF goal Some critically manned AFSC’s still heavily taxed Everyone has a role to play in AEF…whether stateside or
deployed…whether pilots, security forces, or cooks
Take Away PointsIn Summary
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MAJORCOMMANDs Combatant
Commander
Normal Training PeriodMaintenance & Modifications, Composite Force Exercises, Inspections, etc.
14 Months
Preparation Period
EMPLOY- On-Call- Deployed
4 Months
- AOR Train- Deploy Prep 2 Months
Trained to Task for the Warfighter
AEF Rotation Cycle
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Do we / I support an AEF?
Which one?
When can I expect to deploy?
Questions to Ask
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AEF
USAF
REMEMBER
“The Air Force’s first and most important task is to maintain a razor sharp focus on our primary mission – to Fly, Fight and Win.”
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AEF
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UNCLASSIFIED
UNCLASSIFIED
Questions
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UCC Briefs 9/11 Nov
Homework
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