Robert S. Tripp

Authors present a framework for evaluating combat support requirements, basing posture vulnerabilities, operational resilience, and mitigation strategies to support combat operations in a denied environment. Analysts can assess combat support design vulnerabilities against attacks by near-peer or regional powers and the costs, effectiveness, and risks of alternative strategies to mitigate potential adversary anti-access/area-denial capabilities.

A congressionally mandated review of the proposed restructuring of Air Force Materiel Command examined the proposal and its effect on life-cycle management, weapon system sustainment, and overall support to the warfighter. It also presents process improvement options to improve warfighter support and product development/support system design and operations support efficiencies, and it suggests organizational changes to facilitate their implementation.

Recent Office of the Secretary of Defense planning guidance directs the services to plan for high levels of engagement and deployed operations, although their nature, locations, durations, and intensity may be unknown. This book synthesizes the results of the initial phases of a study of the basic issues and premises on which the Air Force plans, organizes, and operates its logistics enterprise.

This report provides a strategic view of the analytical capabilities that are needed by the Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center (AFIMSC) to allocate resources to and assess the performance of installation and mission support activities. AFIMSC needs a coherent, rational, and transparent method to allocate resources across missions and installations.

Using the architecture developed as a companion piece to this analysis, this report identifies and describes where shortfalls exist between current agile combat support (ACS) processes and the vision for integrating enhanced ACS processes into Air Force command and control (C2). It evaluates C2 nodes at each echelon of responsibility and across operational phases and suggests mitigation strategies needed to facilitate an efficient and effective global C2 network.

The ability to rapidly deploy forces into austere locations is essential to the global power projection concept of operation. Materiel used by such expeditionary forces often does not deploy with the unit but is instead sourced from a global network of prepositioning storage locations. Alternative approaches to storing combat support materiel might provide better support to deploying forces in an expeditionary environment.

This book describes a potential common operating system (COP) for the Air Force material sustainment system (MSS). The authors first develop a COP based on the principles of effects-based measures, schwerpunkt (organizational focus), decision rights, and a nonmarket economic framework, then they apply the COP to depot-level reparable component sustainment to illustrate how the COP would improve overall MSS efficiency and responsiveness.This book describes a common operating picture for the Air Force materiel sustainment system that, if implemented, would make the system more efficient and more responsive to changing operational needs.

RAND developed a methodology to help understand and explain the differences between U.S. Air National Guard and active component aircraft maintenance productivity. This research focuses on maintenance options for supporting associate units, where the goal of the associate unit is to produce trained pilots in the most efficient manner possible. It evaluates maintenance options for U.S. Air Force associate units, where the goal of the associate units is to produce trained pilots in the most efficient manner possible.

Space assets are vital to the economic, social, and military interests of the United State, but these interests can conflict with one another, especially when it comes to space system sustainment. The authors worked with Air Force Space Command to develop a sustainment philosophy based on separation of demand, supply, and integrator processes and clear definition of responsibilities, using specific systems and units for illustration.

This monograph describes some of the research that has been conducted on the military combat support system. It identifies the elements of sense and respond combat support and shows what is necessary to implement the concept. The monograph points out the need for both predictive tools and responsive systems working together. It also describes elements of one of the key enabler of sense and response combat support, combat support command and control.

This report develops operational architecture to guide the development of combat support command and control (CSC2). As part of a series on supporting the Air and Space Expeditionary Force, this report looks at the current operational architecture for incorporating combat support command and control (CSC2) and proposes an expanded architecture for the future.

Evaluates options for Air National Guard combat support and reachback missions in four Air Force mission areas to support the Air and Space Expeditionary Force, investigates transformational opportunities for the ANG that would add the most value in achieving the desired operational effects, and considers how changes in unit and above-unit policies are likely to affect Total Force capabilities.

How can the Air Force improve the planning and execution activities associated with developing intratheater airlift operations within the military joint end-to-end multimodal movement system? Recent operations have shed light on shortfalls in Air Force intratheater airlift. Using an expanded strategies-to-tasks framework, the authors assess current intratheater airlift processes, organizations, doctrine, training, and systems. This report catalogues identified shortfalls and recommends options for improving the Theater Distribution System. The authors recommend separation of supply, demand, and integrator roles and adoption of a closed-loop planning and execution process.

Examines the development and recent implementation of maintenance forward support locations, also known as Centralized Intermediate Repair Facilities. This study examines a reconfiguration of the current U.S. Air Force support system that would implement maintenance forward support locations to consolidate intermediate maintenance near the theater of operations. Such locations are known as Centralized Intermediate Repair Facilities, or CIRFs. The report recommends that the Air Force explore the use of CIRFs outside of the United States as wel as within, establish an Operational Support Center at each Major Cornmand, and centralize OownershipO of engines and pods.

Evaluates global forward support locations (FSLs) for storing war reserve materiel and presents a framework for evaluating FSL options 450-character abstract: The U.S. Air Force is committed to the Air and Space Expeditionary Force concept and the transformation that is necessary for it to project power quickly to any region of the world. Forward positioning of heavy war reserve materiel (WRM) in optimal forward support locations (FSLs) is key to the Air Force's ability to respond to a wide variety of scenarios. This monograph evaluates a set of global FSL basing and transportation options for storing WRM and presents an analytical framework for evaluating alternative FSL options.

Describes a review conducted as a joint effort by the U.S. Air Force and the RAND Corporation (acting as analytic advisor) to develop improvement options for mitigating wing-level logistics problems that began in the 1990s. 450-character abstract: Upon direction from the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, the RAND Corporation (as analytic advisor) and the Air Force conducted a joint review of logistics wing-level processes aimed at developing improvement options to mitigate logistics problems in meeting increasing readiness demands. The authors describe the analytic approach and results of this Chief's Logistics Review, as well as how the solution options designed to improve wing-level logistics processes were implemented, tested, and then evaluated at selected air bases.

Presents an analysis of Air Force combat support experiences associated with Operation Enduring Freedom and compares these experiences with those associated with Operation Allied Force (OAF) to determine similarities and applicability of lessons across experiences. An analysis of combat support experiences associated with Operation Enduring Freedom that compares these experiences with those associated with Operation Allied Force (OAF). Its objectives were to indicate the performance of U.S. Air Force combat support in OEF, examine how Agile Combat Support concepts were implemented in OEF and compare OAF and OEF experiences to determine similarities and applicability of lessons across experiences, and to determine whether some experiences are unique to particular scenarios.