As Air Force leaders continue to balance mission requirements and available resources, they are proposing a separation between the stateside numbered air force and its warfighting component to the U.S. Central Command.
Currently, a three-star general commands both 9th Air Force at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., and the forward-deployed U.S. Air Forces Central. The proposal makes that general officer solely responsible for serving as the Air Force Forces commander in charge of AFCENT.
The shift in responsibilities would enable the 9th Air Force staff to focus on oversight of stateside wings as a separate command under a two-star general, Air Force officials said.
While the proposal impacts only a handful of 9th Air Force and Air Combat Command Airmen at Shaw AFB, the temporary movement of the AFCENT commander and a small 30-40 person staff element will significantly enhance focus and continuity for AFCENT staff in theater, said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz.
"We want to download some of the (stateside) responsibilities so our three-star (commander) ... can focus on the fight in Afghanistan and Iraq," the general said during testimony to the House Armed Services Committee May 19.
AFCENT's temporary headquarters would shift to Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, which currently hosts the Combined Air and Space Operations Center, the hub for air operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. The AFCENT commander's responsibility would become focused exclusively on the planning and execution of air operations in a 20-nation area of responsibility covering central and southwest Asia.
The 9th Air Force commander would retain oversight of five wings and three direct reporting units in the eastern United States, totaling more than 350 aircraft and 24,000 active-duty and civilian personnel. This proposal will not impact the U.S. Army Forces Central headquarters relocation to Shaw AFB as directed by the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission report.
The chief of staff noted that the previous configuration of 9th Air Forces and AFCENT successfully sustained operations in central and southwest Asia for decades, but that current operations would benefit from the dedicated forward presence of a senior Airman.
"The operations tempo is as high as it's ever been and as our commitments accelerate in Afghanistan, we need 100 percent focus," General Schwartz said. "This was in keeping with the best military judgment of Air Force leaders as well as coordinated with and favored by (CENTCOM Commander) General (David) Petraeus."
Air Force officials are still assessing and developing the details, including the exact composition of the command element, the nature of the overseas assignments for AFCENT personnel and the proposal's projected cost. However, Air Force leaders have emphasized the proposal is a temporary solution.
The AFCENT commander will "go forward full-time, and, when our obligations subside, we will reset to a peacetime configuration," General Schwartz said.
The results of the assessment will be briefed to Air Force leaders shortly and it is expected to be implemented in the late summer.
Amaani Lyle (AFPS)
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