Air Force's New Deployment Model Sparks Criticism, Staffing Concerns at Bases

Some Air Force officials are concerned by the service's innovative deployment model, a new government watchdog report revealed, with some wing and command leaders saying the idea leaves bases short-staffed and under-resourced and creates logistical headaches for home bases.

The Air Force Force Generation model, referred to as AFFORGEN, was unveiled last year as a revolutionary way to train, rest and move forces for deployments. But a probe by the Government Accountability Office revealed in a report last week that the plan "continues to face a variety of ongoing challenges" and has triggered worries from officials at multiple bases and major commands.

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Katherine Kuzminski, the director of the military, veterans and society program at the Center for a New American Security think tank, told Military.com that it's often a balancing act -- juggling requirements for combatant commanders and the joint force, as well as needs within the service itself -- and that isn't easy.

"The underlying challenge is that the demand for Air Force assets continues to grow at a time when force structure is relatively stable and the services are facing a tough recruiting environment," Kuzminski told Military.com. "The trade-offs are thus either short staffing or burnout and impacts to readiness."

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