Building a well-rounded, resilient Air Force is a top priority for senior leaders, but there are still plenty of signs that a decade of war is taking its toll on the force. The number of alcohol-related incidents is hovering around 7,000, there were 3,600 ground-safety incidents in Fiscal 2010, and child and partner abuse cases, as well as divorce rates are up, said CMSAF James Roy, speaking to an audience Thursday at AFA’s Air Warfare Symposium and Technology Exposition in Orlando, Fla. There also are an average of 600 sexual assault cases each year, and the 2011 suicide rate has already surpassed the 100 airmen suicides in Fiscal 2010, said Roy. “People matter. A resiliency culture is the right thing to do for our airmen, their families, and the United States Air Force,” he said. He added, “Our airmen and their families are the most important asset we have and we have to take that into consideration.”
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.