A Question of Access

Air Mobility Command (AMC) is a Total Force Command with 65% of its aircrew and 57% of its aircraft resident in the Air Reserve Component (ARC). Prior to 9-11, this force mix optimized access, availability and cost effectiveness--though it was already beginning to show signs of strain. Since 9-11, both active and reserve force leaders are concerned that AMC's force mix is not well suited for today's operational environment. Many feel it is too ARC-heavy, straining both the active and reserve, and steps need to be taken to re-balance the workload through a redistribution of force structure or use of unique ways to gain access to underutilized ARC assets. This study reviews AMC's force mix today, factors affecting that mix, and access options. It identifies those force mix factors pertinent to AMC, offers recommendations for optimizing Active-ARC integration, and proposes a detailed study to rebalance the fleet. It was intentionally limited to airframes and aircrews in order to reduce its scope. Appendices include a discussion of reserve force mission optimization, review of two previous force structure proposals, a primer on AMC's flying hour program development, and recommendations for further studies. Literature reviews, personal interviews, consultation with RAND personnel, and source data analysis were used.