The U.S. Air Force has reached the final phases of its transition to a new four-phase, 24-month force generation model designed for future joint operations.
The Air Force Force Generation (AFFORGEN) would balance trade-offs between short and long-term structural readiness elements to better inform resource management and investments, the service said Thursday.
Under the AFFORGEN model, airmen would spend a year to reset and prepare for deployment following a six-month phase on duty, after which they would spend half a year to achieve a high level of readiness through certification and training events.
Lt. Gen. Joseph Guastella, deputy chief of staff for operations, noted that the new model will address the problem in the previous Air Expeditionary Force construct wherein the use of airpower outpaced force generation.
"After nearly two decades of demanding rotational deployments, we are shifting to a model that builds high-end and sustainable readiness toward future missions by balancing elements of current availability, modernization and risk," explained Gen. Charles Brown, Jr., the Air Force chief of staff.
The service aims to achieve initial operating capability for AFFORGEN in fiscal 2023.