Air Force personnel will take over six provisional reconstruction teams throughout eastern Afghanistan later this month. The teams of about 80 airmen each are taking over from Army PRTs to serve in various provinces for a one-year rotation. According to the Bagram Bullet, the airmen will assist in building and stabilizing the economy, promote security, and help legitimize the central government in Kabul. The teams comprise specialists in fields such as civil engineering, contracting, intelligence, and medicine. In addition to the Air Force teams, there are six Navy and nine NATO-commanded teams in northern and western Afghanistan.
The emphasis on speed in the Pentagon’s newly unveiled slate of acquisition reforms may come with increased near-term cost increases, analysts say. But according to U.S. defense officials, the new weapons-buying construct provides the military with enough flexibility to prevent runaway budget overruns in major programs.
