Civil Engineering Prime Beef Contingency Training - Preparation for the Spectrum of Operations

摘要

Air Force Doctrine Document (AFDD) 42, Civil Engineer doctrine, states the capability of a nation's Air Force is determined not only by the weapon system and weapon support system, but also by the basing system. The basing system 'includes infrastructure, people, materiel, and information needed to sustain the weapons system and the weapons support system'. Thus, people, specifically the training proficiency of those people, is a critical element in determining the Air Force's capability. With the breakup of the Soviet Union and Warsaw Pact, the strategic environment has changed so dramatically the United States military is no longer facing a single enemy. Many individuals also consider the United States the world's only remaining superpower. Thus, U.S. military forces are being deployed with greater frequency to support operations short of war, known as Military Operations Other Than War (MOOTW). When determining the Air Force's capability to support operations across the full spectrum of conflict, from war to MOOTW, the training proficiency of those forces is important. Of vital concern is the training proficiency of Air Force Civil Engineer (AFCE) Prime Base Engineer Emergency Force (BEEF) personnel. This study attempts to answer three questions regarding training proficiency of AFCE Prime BEEF personnel. These are: (1) Are tasks they perform different across the full spectrum of conflict. (2) Is current contingency training adequately preparing them to perform taskings across the full spectrum of conflict. (3) If the training is not adequate, what suggestions can improve this training so they are adequately prepared to perform these taskings. This study used a three step approach to answer these questions. First was to investigate historical development of AFCE Prime BEEF teams. Focus was on typical taskings they encountered in contingency environments and training received to prepare them for those taskings.