General expects AEF return to ‘steady state’
By Airman 1st Class Katie Booher
5th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
01/13/2004 – MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. (ACCNS) – The Air
Force expects to return to its regular steady state deployment schedule under
the Air and Space Expeditionary Force plan within the next several weeks, said
the man who’s responsible for running the system.
Speaking to military members and local community leaders during a visit here
Jan. 9, Brig. Gen Anthony Przybyslawski said the Air Force expects to keep
less than 10 percent of its total force on extended deployment tours lasting
more than the planned 90-day rotation dictated under the AEF plan.
“Those folks who are on extended tours are in critical career fields,
including security forces members, air traffic controllers and civil engineer
specialty services, the general said.”
If another major conflict breaks out, the Air Force is ready to make a smooth
transition from the steady AEF rhythm to support the high operations tempo
that comes with preparing for conflict, the general said.
“With all the lessons learned from a pre-Sept. 11, 2001, steady state to
building up the forces for Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and then
peaking and providing more than 100,000 airmen for Operation Iraqi Freedom, he
said. “We are once again postured to be able to execute (our forces) in the
same manner. Regardless of the threat, the Air Force can respond using the
same battle rhythm it did to get through OIF.”
As long as there is a conflict, the Air Force must be ready to respond in
these cases, said the general.
“The current environment in the world, as well as the global war on terror,
requires the presence of the Air Force,” said General Przybyslawski. “As long
as the war continues, the Air Force is committed to providing anything and
everything it can to win this war.”
The AEF battle rhythm helps people in uniform live a normal day-to-day life,
but it allows them to quickly respond in an emergency he said.
Contrary to what people have said, OIF didn’t “break” the AEF system, the
general said. Instead it proved it works.
“The AEF is a methodology and a battle rhythm. If there’s no battle, the
rhythm is low. If there’s a battle, the rhythm is high,” he said. “It was
never broken but provided a logical methodology to fight wherever the
situation is.”
When AEF Silver ends in mid-March, the AEF system will return to the normal 90
schedule starting with AEF-7 and -8.
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