The Government Accounting Office does not think the Air Force approach to managing its space workforce will “ensure it has enough space acquisition personnel or personnel who are technically proficient to meet national security needs,” according to a new GAO report. For one thing, GAO thinks the service must do a “zero-based needs” assessment of its space acquisition workforce—military, civilian, and contractor—to “help inform” the service’s planned personnel reductions. The service plans to cut 40,000 positions—a mix of military and civilian—and, GAO says, it also plans to reduce its contract force by 25 percent over the next five years. DOD only partially concurs with GAO recommendations. For instance, DOD believes any assessment of space acquisition personnel “must be integrated” as part of the Air Force’s total force planning process. It also does not yet agree with GAO that USAF should create a space-specific acquisition force, saying there is merit in having the “flexibility to use these individuals in other acquisition positions.”
The six-week government shutdown did not affect the hours flown by Air Force pilots, a service spokesperson told Air & Space Forces Magazine—avoiding what could have been a major blow at a time when flying hours are already lower than they have been in decades.
