SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. – In an effort to better support global requirements and achieve full-spectrum readiness objectives in the face of increasingly contested environments and domains, AMC has taken important steps to prepare its Airmen for the first major milestones in implementing the command’s new force generation and presentation strategy, Mobility Air Forces Force Generation (MAFFORGEN).
In April, mission generation personnel whose units will be first to enter the Available Phase of MAFFORGEN this fall, had the opportunity to hear from HQ AMC/A3 and A4 leadership and Functional Area Managers at the first “A-Phase Workshop” held near Scott AFB, Illinois. Attendees included Airmen and civilians from Operations, Maintenance, and Contingency Response squadrons across the command.
AMC has recently begun its transition to MAFFORGEN in accordance with the direction from Headquarters Air Force to align with the Air Force Force Generation (AFFORGEN) model. Under MAFFORGEN, force elements are assigned to various phases of readiness throughout the two-year deployment cycle: Reset, Prepare, Ready and Available. As the suspense for reaching MAFFORGEN Initial Operating Capability (IOC) approaches at the end of September 2022, it is critical that force elements assigned to the Available phase on Oct 1, 2022, understand foundational MAFFORGEN concepts, the impact the transition will have on the force, and what is expected of an “Available” force element.
“The A-Phase Workshop served multiple purposes,” said Lt Col Michael Lynch, Deputy Chief of Air Mobility Command Operations Management Division. “Our primary goal was to prepare Airmen and their leadership with information they need to successfully transition their force elements to the Available Phase this fall.” Workshop topics included an in-depth explanation of MAFFORGEN, collaborative sessions to identify potential challenges, discussion on personnel and equipment requirements unique to each force element and recommended next steps for each force element ahead of the IOC suspense.
“It was equally important that we received direct feedback from participants about anticipated challenges and roadblocks, and that we had open discussion to address tough questions.” Lynch noted, “We could have spent both days just brainstorming potential challenges, but attendees showed up ready to dive into the tough issues and talk through solutions that will posture us for success.”
Participants’ inputs drove discussion and will inform future guidance on topics such as how to prioritize competing taskings, balance deploy to dwell requirements, establish certification event requirements, and many other items of interest.
“Thanks to candid discussion and collaboration, we made significant progress during the workshop and are on track to successfully reach IOC,” said Lynch.
As a result of the workshop, informational resources and guidance, including a complete Question & Answer document, are available to all Airmen via the CAC-enabled MAFFORGEN SharePoint site. AMC will also provide additional opportunities for Airmen to learn more about MAFFORGEN, provide feedback and ask questions in the weeks leading up to IOC and beyond.
The MAFFORGEN A-Phase workshop is the first of several initiatives to support Airmen in the command’s transition to the new model. By Fiscal 2025, all AMC force elements are expected to reach Full Operating Capability and have completed a full cycle through all four phases of MAFFORGEN, setting the stage for AMC to continue projecting, connecting, maneuvering and sustaining the Joint Force through the challenges of a potential high-end fight in the future.