Considerations Regarding Changes to the Organizational Design of the U.S. Air Force: Toward a More Integrated Force Structure

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Snyder, Don

Contributor:

Leftwich, James A.

Lynch, Kristin F.

Peters, Heidi

Zakheim, Brett

Language:

English

Other Title:

Considerations Regarding Changes to the Organizational Design of the U.S. Air Force

Place of Publication:

RAND Corporation 2024

Summary:

After two decades of counterterrorism and counterinsurgency operations in the Middle East, the U.S. Air Force is now in a long-term great-power competition with the Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China, with the latter being the pacing threat. In response, the U.S. Air Force is intensifying efforts to (1) design a force that is effective at deterring and, if necessary, fighting a peer adversary and (2) fund and field that force in a time frame that meets warfighting needs. A key question posed is what, if any, systemic changes the U.S. Air Force should make to facilitate those efforts. In this report, the authors examine, in this context of great-power competition, how to approach the question of systemic changes to an organization's organizational design, which is one of the most critical characteristics that determines how well an organization fares against challenges, both internal and external. As the U.S. Air Force rises to meet the challenge of great-power competition, this report can be a useful guide for designing, funding, and fielding an effective force.