If needed, nearly all airmen could go to war

[unhappycamper]

Today, almost every airman who has completed technical training has been assigned to an AEF grouping. A grouping assignment does not mean every airman will deploy during his four- to six-month AEF vulnerability period, but it does mean that virtually every trained airman without a medical exemption or legal problem could go to war if there is the demand from combatant commanders.


If needed, nearly all airmen could go to war
By Bruce Rolfsen - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday Dec 30, 2009 6:45:20 EST

About this time last year, Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz huddled with his war planners to figure out how to get more medical evacuation helicopters to Afghanistan.

Schwartz offered up the aircraft used to teach pilots to fly the HH-60G Pave Hawk, the service’s combat search-and-rescue helicopter. In the past, the Weapons School instructors at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., hadn’t been deployed because the top brass considered their educational mission too vital.

A new policy emerged that wintry day, one that put war fighting before training.

“We got very direct guidance from the chief,” recalled Maj. Gen. Marke Gibson, director of operations for the deputy chief of staff for operations. “The chief said, ‘We’re not going to have Americans over there dying while we’re worried about a weapons instructor course.’ ”

Although most air expeditionary force deployment changes aren’t as dramatic as the one Schwartz laid forth, the Air Force has steadily tightened deployment exemptions — from yanking medical waivers to cutting training assignments.


Rest of article at: http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2009/12/airforce_training_waivers_122909w/