Big changes are underway for deployed Airmen as the U.S. Air Force transitions away from the expeditionary Air Force model of force presentation to the Air Force Force Generation model after more than 20 years of contingency operations.
What you need to know:
The Air Force is changing the way it presents and generates forces for the first time in more than 20 years.
The changes are designed to improve Air Force readiness for the high-end fight and to better communicate the capabilities that the service can provide to the Joint Force.
All Airmen, except those assigned to joint positions, will be assigned to one of four phases that deploy on a 24-month cycle, or possibly more frequently for units assigned to the air component to a Combatant Command.
Implementation of the new Air Force Force Generation model will evolve over time.
Mission Generation: Provides combat, combat support (those that are specifically identified on the aviation/operational UTC's mission capability statement) and combat service support capability. There are multiple types of MG FEs: Mobility, Air Superiority, Global Precision Attack, Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses, Long Range Strike, High-Altitude Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance, Air Refueling, Intra-Theater Airlift and Combat Search and Rescue.
Open the Airbase: This FE provides capabilities to open an airbase, regardless of follow-on mission(s), including command and control, force protection, cargo and passenger handling, logistics, airfield operations, force accountability, finance and contracting, host nation support, reception and bed-down of follow on forces.
Command and Control: This FE provides the capabilities to establish an Air Expeditionary Wing C2 structure and includes initial wing operations, maintenance, mission support and medical group commanders as well as the Air (A) and special staffs.
Establish the Airbase: This FE provides sufficient forces to support most missions or weapon systems. It integrates with the Open the Air base and C2 FEs as required and provides the earliest capability to enable and sustain the generation of missions.
Operate the Airbase: This FE enhances combat support and combat services support capabilities beyond what the Establish the Airbase FE provides and brings it to full operational capability.
Robust the Airbase: This FE provides additional combat support and combat service support to increase the robustness of the capabilities already in place.
Demand Force Teams: DFTs are units or capabilities with unique or highly specific combat, combat support, or combat service support capabilities. Examples include the Expeditionary Medical Support System, Rapid Engineering Deployable Heavy Operations Repair Squadron – Engineer, or Combat Camera squadrons.