Modernizing the Air Reserve Forces--More Emphasis on Logistics Support Needed

Gao ID: LCD-80-11 November 6, 1979

Air Force plans to modernize the Air Reserve Forces needs to match logistics support more effectively with operational needs.

Neither the Department of Defense nor the Air Force required integrated support plans from the Reserves in order to ensure that logistics support met operational needs. The Reserves were structured, based, and supported quite differently from the Active Forces, often causing severe support problems when aircraft were transferred. The decentralized structure of the Reserves were more costly to operate than the centralized Active Forces. When mobilized, the Reserves would be reconfigured like the Active forces, so peacetime support should mirror this configuration. That it did not, resulted in peacetime support that far exceeded wartime need. The Air Force could greatly reduce costs and increase Reserves' effectiveness by considering support alternatives such as centralizing logistics support activities, colocating common aircraft, using Active Air Force bases to a greater extent, and expanding the Air Force Associate Program to include the Air National Guard.

Recommendations

Our recommendations from this work are listed below with a Contact for more information. Status will change from "In process" to "Open," "Closed - implemented," or "Closed - not implemented" based on our follow up work.

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