Daniel M Norton

The composition of Air Force active and reserve forces is often contentious, especially during a force drawdown. This document seeks to inform force composition decisions by clarifying issues that affect the suitability of missions for assignment to the reserve components.

In order to defend itself and its national interests, and to maintain the trust of allies as a reliable security guarantor, the United States must match its national security policies with the resources available to support them. This report discusses the specific gaps between the stated strategic and defense policies of the United States and the resources and capabilities that would be required to implement those policies successfully.

The U.S. Air Force is exploring adaptive basing (AB) concepts to reduce the vulnerability of U.S. forces and to preserve critical combat capabilities in highly contested environments. These concepts are likely to stress the U.S. Air Force's global mobility capabilities. This report assesses the impact of AB concepts on the Mobility Air Forces and to recommends enhancements to better support AB operations in a contested environment.