Lawmakers earlier this month questioned service officials on whether mashing together the service medical forces is advisable. The Army said yes, while the Air Force and Navy were hesitant, citing the potential to lose expertise in service-specific care—aeromedical evacuation for USAF and sea-going medics for the Navy. The outgoing Air Force Surgeon General, Lt. Gen. George Peach Taylor Jr., also said that the Air Force would have the hardest time shifting to such an operation because its medical services are decentralized. Notwithstanding those caveats, DOD officials are formulating options for presentation to senior leaders later this year. They say that an implementation plan would surface with the 2008 budget request.
As Air Force leaders consider concepts of operations for Collaborative Combat Aircraft, sustainment in the field—and easing that support by using standard parts and limiting variants—should be a key consideration, according to a new study from AFA's Mitchell Institute of Aerospace Studies.