Good News, Bad News:

Oct. 31, 2005

Good News, Bad News: The Air Force reserve components have fewer nondeployable members than the Army reserve components do, according to the Government Accountability Office. (See the tables.) The bad news is that the active Air Force has a higher nondeployable percentage than the Air National Guard. What makes an airman nondeployable? It could be a temporary condition, such as broken bones. So, we cannot say that active duty airmen actually are less fit than ANG airmen. We thought this data interesting, though, however the latest GAO slam at DOD really focuses on the Pentagon’s inability—still—to provide auditable data on the level of reserve force fitness to serve. During Desert Storm in 1991, it became appalling clear that there were many reservists, principally in the Army, who should have been discharged or retired. The Pentagon was instructed to remedy the situation. Read the report here if you want to know more.

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