Air Force kicks off staff reorganization.

• Author: Erwin, Sandra I.
• Position: Up Front

Air Force officials intend to have in place by October nine new war-fighting headquarters--one for each of the unified command's geographic area of responsibility. Unlike the current setup, which varies from one command to another, the new war-fighting headquarters will follow a standard format.

Air Force leaders for years have talked about the need to create standard war-fighting headquarters. Commanders often have complained about having to spend too much time learning how a particular headquarters staff operates, which varies from one theater to the next.

Currently, each unified command has a different type of Air Force organization supporting it. There are numbered air forces, which are large war-fighting units. The 12th Air Force, for example, supports the U.S. Southern Command, and the 9th Air Force assists the U.S. Central Command. Their war-fighting staffs have different job titles and responsibilities than those of U.S. Air Force Europe and Pacific Air Forces.

As a result, "when we stand up an operation, it may be different from others," says Air Force Brig. Gen. Eric J. Rosborg.

Rosborg leads a 15-person team that was chartered by the secretary of the Air Force to develop the concept and implementation guidance for the war-fighting headquarters.

The chief of staff, Gen. John Jumper, specifically directed that the same standard headquarters organization be put in place in every command.

"They need to look the same," Rosborg says in an interview. "We are realigning deck chairs to create a standard approach Air Force-wide." In the past, he says, "we never developed doctrine, techniques or procedures for the organizations--the commander of air forces, and the staffs that support them."

The war-fighting headquarters, commanded by a three-star general, oversees an air-operations center--a large command-and-control hub of several hundred people led by a one-star general--and a support staff of up to 500 personnel, organized by functions. The size varies, depending on the intensity of military operations in the area.

The A-1 staff is responsible for personnel issues, A-2 oversees intelligence, A-3 is in charge of air-space operations, A-4 is logistics, A-5 plans and requirements and A-6 runs the communications systems.

The A-1 through A-6 setup already exists at most commands. What will change is the addition of new positions, A-7 for installations and mission support, A-8 for programs and financial management and A-9 for analysis...