Air Force Readiness: Actions Needed to Improve New Process for Preparing Units to Deploy
Fast Facts
Continuous deployments over the past 2 decades have reduced the Air Force's readiness—affecting personnel, equipment, and aircraft.
To rebuild readiness, the Air Force is implementing a new process to organize, deploy, and train forces. But this process has challenges.
For example, the Air Force plans to eventually deploy an entire wing from an airbase rather than individuals from multiple wings and airbases. But it hasn't assessed whether bases will have enough staff to operate when units deploy—to fill jobs like guarding entrances or providing security. Also, it hasn't set timeframes for its efforts.
We recommended addressing these issues.
A C-17 Globemaster III Aircraft Can Transport Personnel for Deployment
Highlights
What GAO Found
The Air Force has taken steps to address some challenges in implementing its new process to organize and deploy its forces—known as Air Force Force Generation (AFFORGEN)—but continues to face a variety of ongoing challenges. The Air Force began implementing AFFORGEN in late 2022 to create forces that train and deploy together. To address lessons from early deployments, the Air Force has revised the composition of these forces and tailored the AFFORGEN process to specific types of units, such as bombers.
Air Force F-16 and F-22 Training to Improve Combat Readiness
However, GAO identified several ongoing implementation challenges. For example, the Air Force has not completed an assessment of minimum U.S. base staffing needs. Under AFFORGEN, the Air Force planned to deploy whole units from U.S. bases. However, it has relied on some of these personnel to operate its bases and perform duties like staffing security gates.
The Air Force's ongoing efforts to implement AFFORGEN partially align with some selected leading reform practices and do not align with others. For example, while the Air Force has released visionary statements, it has not set goals to track implementation progress.
Assessment of Air Force Efforts to Implement AFFORGEN with Leading Practices
|
Leading reform practice |
Extent Air Force efforts align |
|---|---|
|
Establishing Goals and Outcomes |
◒ |
|
Involving Employees and Key Stakeholders |
◒ |
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Using Data and Evidence |
○ |
|
Addressing Longstanding Management Challenges |
◒ |
|
Leadership Attention and Focus |
◒ |
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Managing and Monitoring |
○ |
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Employee Engagement |
◒ |
|
Strategic Workforce Planning |
◒ |
◒ Partially aligned with leading reform practice ○ Did not align with leading reform practice
Source: GAO analysis of Air Force information. I GAO-25-107017
Air Force officials said they rapidly implemented AFFORGEN to prepare for potential conflict with near-peer competitors. These officials recognized that an implementation plan with goals, a timeline with key milestones, and performance measures would help ensure unity of effort across the service and a shared understanding of the path forward.
Why GAO Did This Study
More than 2 decades of conflict have degraded the Air Force's readiness, with wide-ranging effects on personnel, equipment, and aircraft from near constant deployments. To rebuild readiness and restore predictability, the Air Force has begun implementing a new cyclical process to organize and deploy its forces, known as AFFORGEN.
House Report 118-125, which accompanied a bill for the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024, includes a provision for GAO to examine the implementation of AFFORGEN. Among other things, this report assesses the extent to which the Air Force has addressed any challenges in implementing AFFORGEN, and the Air Force's efforts to implement AFFORGEN align with selected leading agency reform practices.
GAO analyzed Air Force documentation; interviewed Department of Defense and Air Force officials; and visited selected major commands and units to identify any challenges in implementing AFFORGEN.
Recommendations
GAO is making four recommendations to the Air Force, including that it completes an assessment of minimum U.S. base staffing needs and issues an implementation plan for AFFORGEN that includes goals, a timeline with key milestones, and performance measures. DOD concurred with the recommendations.
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of the Air Force | The Secretary of the Air Force should ensure that Headquarters Air Force creates a plan that establishes timeframes for the UTC consolidation effort before DCWs deploy. (Recommendation 1) |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
| Department of the Air Force | The Secretary of the Air Force should ensure that Headquarters Air Force, in coordination with the service's major commands and installations, completes a service-wide assessment of U.S. Air Force base minimum staffing needs as it prepares to create in-garrison wings. (Recommendation 2) |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
| Department of the Air Force | The Secretary of the Air Force should ensure that Headquarters Air Force, in coordination with the service's major commands and installations, assesses potential gaps and risks associated with reduced in-garrison support for base-related missions. (Recommendation 3) |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
| Department of the Air Force | The Secretary of the Air Force should ensure that Headquarters Air Force issues an AFFORGEN implementation plan that includes leading reform practices, such as outcome-oriented goals, a timeline with key milestones, and performance measures. (Recommendation 4) |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
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