Military

Air Force wings to undergo major reorganization

04/22/02 - WASHINGTON -- The way Air Force wings are organized will undergo major changes beginning Oct. 1. Those changes include creation of a new maintenance group, restructuring support groups and reducing the taskings of operations groups.

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John Jumper directed April 22 that all Air Force active-duty, Reserve and Air National Guard wings adopt the new standard wing structure to enhance the service's warfighting capabilities.

"After careful deliberations with major command commanders, we reached a decision on a new wing organizational structure that will standardize operations across the Air Force and enhance our expeditionary capabilities," Jumper said.

The five major changes involved in the standard wing concept include:

-- All aircraft and space maintenance specialists currently assigned to operations and logistics groups will be reassigned to a newly created maintenance group.

-- Supply and transportation squadrons will be combined to form logistics readiness squadrons.

-- Contracting squadrons, aerial ports and LRSs will transfer into existing support groups, which will be renamed "mission support group."

-- Logistics plans functions will transfer to the newly created LRSs.

-- The logistics readiness officer career field initiative, which combines three officer career fields -- supply, transportation and logistics plans -- has new accessions beginning this month.

"My vision is that the groups in our wings will focus on their essential core capabilities," Jumper said.

"Operation of air and space weapons systems is a core competency of the U.S. Air Force," Jumper said. "Operations group activities focus on planning and executing air and space power. Commanders of operations groups are charged with leading their units in combat.

"They will continue to be considered leaders and role models in the tactical employment of their weapons systems," he said. "The Air Force has also recognized the emerging necessity to more closely integrate tactical skills with execution at the operational level of war. Commanders of operations groups will be increasingly involved in planning and training for the operational level of war.

"Maintenance of air and space weapons systems is (also) a core competency of the U.S. Air Force, Jumper said. "Aging fleets and years of resource shortfalls require increased attention to the balance of sortie production and health of our fleets. This requires career maintenance professionals able to develop the same level of skill and proficiency demanded of our operations, logistics and medical professionals.

"Mission support, in the expeditionary, rapid reaction, contingency-based Air Force of today is (another) core competency," he said. "The Air Force will develop a career path for commanders who understand the full scope of home station employment and sustainment, and deployment, beddown and sustainment at contingency locations: crisis actions, force protection, unit type code preparation, load planning, contracting actions, bare base and tent city preparation, munitions site planning, personnel readiness expeditionary combat support, etc."

Medical groups, Jumper said, will continue to focus on maintaining a fit and ready force. There will be no change to the structure of medical groups.

Jumper set Sept. 30, 2003, as the target date to achieve full operational capability.

"I fully understand the magnitude of these changes," he said. "The goal is to achieve a more capable Air Force with professionals who understand and are capable of meeting our ever-increasing complex mission."