Author Description

Processes for determining U.S. Air Force manpower requirements vary considerably across and within the variety of workforces employed to meet Air Force missions, including active duty military personnel, full-time and part-time Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard military personnel, civilian employees, and contractors. Distinctive processes have been developed for quantifying needs for operational, maintenance, and non-maintenance agile combat support workforces. The primary focus of this report is on those quantitatively oriented manpower requirements processes and the extent to which they are validated, coordinated, and consistent. Since some requirements are based on wartime or deployment needs rather than peacetime or garrison needs, the report seeks to determine if a common-sight picture of wartime demands is available. It also explores the qualitative side of personnel requirements. The resources of the Air Force's manpower requirements squadrons and flights appear to be inadequate to their task, as evidenced by both the limited coverage of requirements by standard processes and the age distribution of current manpower standards. Another area of concern is the separation of manpower standards by component, leading to inefficiencies. Also, restrictions on the duties of reserve component personnel tend to mandate more training than is needed and invite circumventions to allow greater participation by reservists in active missions. In addition, the linkage between individual mobilization augmentee authorizations and wartime requirements is tenuous. Finally, looking at qualitative requirements, there appears to be a need for additional attention to officer education prerequisites.