The budget sequester has stunted Air Force Materiel Command’s hopes to build a more seasoned and knowledgeable workforce, AFMC boss Gen. Janet Wolfenbarger told the Daily Report on Monday. “We have not been able to bring on the numbers of people we would have liked,” she said after her speech at AFA’s Air and Space Conference in National Harbor, Md. She added that the command is closely managing the personnel issue. Manpower levels are sufficient for the tasks at hand, she said, although budget plans under development would still have some hiring built into them. If there is a budget continuing resolution, AFMC will be able to keep a proportionate number of people to meet the requirements, she said.
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.