Military

AEF schedules remaining same

06/20/02 - WASHINGTON -- The air and space expeditionary force concept was a major topic of discussion at the recent Corona meeting in Colorado Springs, Colo., most notably on the lengths and numbers of existing AEF deployments.

Bottom line -- the current AEF deployment alignment will remain the same, said the special assistant to the vice chief of staff for AEFs. This means 10 AEFs divided into five pairs, with 90-day temporary duty assignments for a 15-month total cycle length,

"As a result of a Corona decision, the Air Force is retaining the 10 AEFs and maintaining the 90-day rotation policy to the maximum extent possible," said Maj. Gen. Timothy Peppe.

The exception to that policy would be for "stressed" career fields where some individuals, based upon current requirements, will be told to deploy as long as 179 days.

"Clearly our intent is to fix these stressed career fields as soon as possible so that the 90-day policy is a reality for all," Peppe said.

Another Corona decision involves the two air expeditionary wings, known as "911" wings, identified in the original AEF alignment.

"By Aug. 1, the resources of those AEWs will be aligned throughout the existing 10 AEFs, and they will be tasked accordingly starting with Cycle 4 in June 2003," Peppe said. "Based upon current operational demands, it made sense to fold these two wings into existing AEF rotations."

The crisis-response need that the AEWs fulfilled will come from the current construct of AEFs starting with Cycle 4, Peppe said.

Education about AEFs should be a primary concern at all levels of the Air Force, from general officers to airmen basic, according to Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. John P. Jumper.

"The most important thing for an airman to do is to deploy on time, and we must all understand that those airmen deployed are our No. 1 priority," Jumper said. "The Air Staff is working hard to identify and size the stressed career fields and develop short- and long-term solutions. AEF is not a hobby -- it's the system."

Other Corona discussions centered around the bimonthly Major Command Vice Commander Forum, which actively works AEF issues such as building force modules, key leadership training, unit type codes and increasing the deployable population. All of these, Peppe said, contribute to properly deploying expeditionary air and space resources around the world, when and where the need arises.

"We are expeditionary," Peppe said. "We need to be ready to deploy -- ready to project our forces anywhere, any time."