At Fairchild AFB, Wash., all airmen shipping out for deployment in 2006 will undergo a combat skills training course that lasts four days—much more than the basic Air Force requirement of 19 hours, says Fairchild officials. Everyone—from airman to colonel—will get this training if they are deploying to Afghanistan or Iraq. And, officials say, the Air Force may extend the training to all airmen. “All airmen have a role in the defense of the base, themselves, and others,” states Maj. Philip Holmes, 92nd Security Forces Squadron commander at Fairchild.
As Air Force leaders consider concepts of operations for Collaborative Combat Aircraft, sustainment in the field—and easing that support by using standard parts and limiting variants—should be a key consideration, according to a new study from AFA's Mitchell Institute of Aerospace Studies.