Tiered Readiness at Air Combat Command

Regardless of whether sequestration kicks in on March 1, a solution is reached, or the budget issue is simply delayed yet again, Air Combat Command is likely to move to a state of tiered readiness, ACC boss Gen. Mike Hostage told the Daily Report on Feb. 21. This will ensure that at least a portion of the force remains combat capable as funds continue to dwindle in Fiscal 2013, he said during an interview at AFA’s Air Warfare Symposium in Orlando, Fla. “The concept of tiered readiness is to have a certain amount of the force that is ready to go at a moment’s notice and then other portions of my force that are at lower levels of readiness,” said Hostage. “What will happen is when one of my units comes back from the combat theater, [it] will stand down because I don’t have the flight hours, . . . the weapon system sustainment to support fixing the airplanes, [or] the training ranges to train” the unit’s members, he said. Click here to continue to the full report.