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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