U.S Air Force Officers

The Air Force wing of the defense force grapples with numerous challenges despite the success stories that it has enjoyed since World War II. The most common problems include the lack of standard promotion procedures and poor remuneration of the officers. The retirement pension that the officers get can barely meet their needs, which compels them to seek full-time jobs after retiring from service. However, the introduction of the AFI procedure during the promotion exercise will help restore the lost credibility and enhance fairness in the process. Reviewing the officers’ payment package upwards will also enable them to lead better lives during and after their years in service. This paper analyzes the use of AFI in the promotion of officers. In addition, it evaluates the challenges and solutions in the payment package of officers in the force. 

I worked for the United States Air Force (USAF), which is one of the constituents of the U.S armed forces. Broadly, my main responsibility was in air warfare, the establishment of military space research, and air defense. Nolan and Overstreet (2018) note that t he Air Force serves to avail air services in conjunction with other military divisions. The role that the Air Force plays in the military of the U.S cannot be underscored; hence, the need to relook at the welfare of the officers. 

American military operation in the air started with the extensive use of balloons by the troops for survey amid the American Civil War as well as the Spanish-American War. 

The Aeronautical regiment belonging to the Signal Corps of the U.S Army was established in 1907. Congress passed the initial appropriations for aeronautics in 1911 and 1914. Consequently, this led to the creation of the Aviation Sector attached to the Signal Corps. Nolan and Overstreet (2018) suggest that t he first deployment of military aircraft was in the combat against Pancho Villa based in Mexico in 1916, which was a total disaster. The U.S made another mistake by joining World War I a year later with a single poorly-equipped unit. Later in 1918, aviation was hived from the Signal Corps only to emerge as the U.S. Army Air Service. By the time the war was coming to an end, the Air Service had boasted of having a strength of 195,000 officers as well as men with 45 squadrons alongside 740 planes. 

Structure of the USAF 

The AF follows a tiered or hierarchical structure. It is imperative to indicate that AF consists of the civilian, political, and administrative as well as a military formation. The AF falls under the Department of Defense, which is under the leadership of the Secretary of the AF. Hierarchically, the President is at the top followed by the Secretary of Defense, and then the Secretary of the AF. The Chief of Staff is ranked fourth in the hierarchy. The AF is divided into commands such as the Air Combat Command that serves to coordinate and offer all combat airpower ( Nolan & Overstreet, 2018). The AF Material Command conducts research as well as development, testing, and purchasing of new technologies while the Air Mobility Command serves to coordinate and transport supplies and troops. The AF Cyberspace Command is the latest in the force, and it has a duty of safeguarding the U.S commerce and communications from malicious network attacks. 

The main commands of the AF are categorized into 17 Numbered Air Force. The roles of the NAFs undergo frequent reorganization concerning their specific purposes. Wings fall under the NAFs each having 1,000-5,000 troops. It is important to note that a wing may be an Air-base wing, operational wing or specialized mission wing. Notably, the executive arm stands as an independent section complete with all the support functions which are essential for operation ( Nolan & Overstreet, 2018). 

On the other side, the Airbase wing may at times be allocated to specific air force bases in order to execute the activities of the station. A wing can accommodate up to ten squadrons with each squadron supporting a maximum of 24 airplanes alongside their operational crew. Units can further be broken down to flights consisting of up to 100 individuals. The flights can either be numbered or alphabetized ( Hansen, 2017).  Numbered flight performs unique functions such as training. During combat, the AF tends to divide their forces into Expeditionary Task Forces. Indeed, the AF’s high mobility makes it easier to break it down to more flexible units as compared to other arms of the armed forces. 

AIR Force Ranks 

General of the AF- Five-star general 

General- Four-star general 

Lieutenant General- Three-star general 

Major General 

Brigadier General 

Colonel 

Lieutenant Colonel 

Major 

Captain 

First Lieutenant 

Second Lieutenant 

Hansen (2017) notes that the participation of the U.S in both World I and World War II prompted the rapid growth of the department to what it is today. The need for aerial bombardments in support of the troops on the ground led to the advancement in air force technology. The AF was instrumental in the decisive win that the U.S experienced in the Second World War, and since then, America has continued to thrive in air combat. 

Agency Problem 

Notably, I firmly believe that the Air Force has severe problems with issues of promotion. Individuals involved in the promotion exercise base their decisions on a few factors such as performance evaluations, awards and decorations, and competition with peers ( Hansen, 2017). The board tasked with making promotions arrives at their conclusion by evaluating the individual’s record and a determination made based on an individual’s opinion. Members that constitute the board tend to change every year, implying that the factors which are considered necessary in the exercise also change. Ideally, change in board members and the availability of factors that go into consideration for making the promotion indicate that the activity lacks a standard criterion. 

Noteworthy, over 87 percent of all the AF Specialty Codes belong to the same promotion category. In essence, it means that the majority of the AF officers apart from chaplains, Judges, advocates, and medical personnel face a similar central selection board that decides whether they merit advancing to the next level. In brief, officers, including pilots, acquisitions, and security forces are all subjected to the same judgment criteria ( Hansen, 2017).  Moreover, having few factors in determining the individuals picked for promotion lowers the credibility of the process. Indeed, there are situations when officers have similar qualifications in terms of performance evaluations, awards, and decorations, among other factors, but one is picked while the other is left. The criteria for giving awards and honors also depend on different aspects, which might disadvantage some officers if the factor is used in picking individuals for promotions ( Hansen, 2017).  Board members review the records of every officer and give an opinion on the person’s suitability for promotion. Nonetheless, this procedure has loopholes in the sense that it provides a platform upon which members can use to settle their scores. The procedure also encourages cases of bribery for promotion in that an officer can identify members from the board and bribe them for a favorable opinion during the evaluation process. Precisely, the process of promotion is rife with loopholes that a person can exploit to get a promotion and deny another person a fair chance of getting the same opportunity .  

Decisions made by the board members largely overlooked individual competences by grouping all the officers in a single category. The generalization compelled officers seeking promotion to have a general knowledge of the operations of the Air Force, some of which they might never apply during their service in the force. Murray (2017) postulates that the approach did not consider evaluating officers on their practical capabilities which form the major part of the operations at the Air Force. Notably, almost 90 percent of all activities in the Air Force are practical-based, which explains why the promotion procedure lacks credibility right from the onset. The fact that each year, the board tasked with handling the promotion issues consists of different members means there can never be a standard criterion for determining the promotions. Every board member has a particular preference that he or she chooses when evaluating officers for promotion. The situation makes it difficult for the officers to identify a specific area that they need to focus on when eying the promotion. The result is that the promotion process lacks credibility and relies entirely on luck ( Murray, 2017). The lack of standard promotion criteria creates some sense of disillusionment among the officers, which impact on their service delivery. 

Every person desires growth in a career as a mark of progress. Additionally, individuals yearn for better opportunities in life to improve the standards of living. Lack of standard criteria for promotion hinders the career development of the officers with some serving in the same position for years despite their exemplary performance that they have demonstrated ( Murray, 2017). In this regard, h aving the AFI that outlines the standards will help make the process transparent and fair to all. The AFI will also lead to career development among the officers as individuals will pursue the various aspects of their careers to the highest level. Establishing standards will enable officers to determine their chances of promotion beforehand, which will save them the disappointment of missing out on promotion when the process begins. Many organizations have standard criteria that help employees determine their eligibility for promotion ( Murray, 2017). The standards, at times, act as goals where individuals strive to attain them, and in the process, enhance their productivity or effectiveness at the workplace. Apart from the lack of standards as a problem facing the process of promotion, vested interests among the senior officials is also a challenge on its own. Officers in senior ranks fearing for competition tend to sabotage the promotion process, which explains why it is possible today to find an officer who has served in the same position for years ( Murray, 2017). The senior officials frustrate the process from the onset and favor promotions that do not follow on their career paths. The in-fighting leaves the top officials in a state of conflict that destroys the peaceful working environment that everyone needs to enjoy for optimum productivity. 

The solutions to these problems lie with the AF creating an Air Force Instruction (AFI) that will help create categories such as special warfare, air operations, information warfare, force modernization, and combat support. The categories will enable officers to compete for promotional opportunities against their professional field peers ( Murray, 2017). The move will also ensure that officers are appraised by senior officers belonging to the same AFSCs. Importantly, the AFI will allow for development agility that will help meet the changing needs of the AF and eliminate the one-size fit all situation that exists. The evaluation schedule has created a category under the Air Operations that test officers on practical aspects. Practicals enable the individuals to demonstrate their capabilities and prove why they warrant getting a promotion ( Murray, 2017). Administering the practical tests makes it impossible for an individual to lie, and thus the outcomes of the exercise pass the credibility test. 

Working in the air force comes with a unique set of job dimensions that every officer should demonstrate before being enlisted for service. Arguably, one must be sharp in mathematics for the job entails lots of calculus. The training for pilots and air force officers follow the same manual. However, it takes an individual with strong brainpower to navigate through the training successfully ( Murray, 2017). Any officer in the air force must possess enough mental strength to deal with the practice. Besides, one is supposed to demonstrate high levels of patience. Air Force officers work under challenging circumstances, and many times, they have to wait patiently for instructions from their seniors before taking any action. In addition, dealing with aircraft requires a person with lots of patience. Air Force aircraft similarly operate much as other planes, which means the officers must have the patience to wait for landing and takeoff instructions despite the excitement that comes along with the career ( Murray, 2017). Many people have phobias for different things in the world. Flying military aircraft takes a lot of courage from the officers. Courage stands out as an essential career dimension in the Air Force. Noteworthy, officers must demonstrate courage since they will be expected to fly aircraft in war zones and other hazardous places. Military aircraft perform a wide range of activities including transporting troops to and from the warzones ( Murray, 2017). They also supply food and ammunition to areas of combat. The actions mentioned above often occur in the middle of a battle. To this end, the officers must have the courage to execute their duties even in such hostile circumstances. 

Commitment to service is another career dimension essential for Air Force officers. Every job requires some level of commitment but working as an Air Force officer requires even more determination. The individuals are called upon to work during odd hours and undergo intensive training that one can easily give up if not committed to the job. The officers participate actively in non-combat activities such as rescuing civilians in times of crises such as fire, floods, and earthquakes, among other natural calamities. An officer must, therefore, be committed to helping in times of need, such as the ones mentioned ( Murray, 2017). Nonetheless, the remuneration the officers receive may not be commensurate with the type of service they offer. The low payments demotivate the officers causing poor service delivery. I believe the AFI design will help in streamlining the challenges bedeviling the promotion process by enhancing transparency and efficiency. The new design will also evaluate officers on matters such as general flight rules, dress as well as the appearance of the Air Force officers, fitness program, among others ( Murray, 2017). The new design will suffice and will establish a fair playing field, considering that all officers in the Air Force are expected to be familiar with the duties and responsibilities of the AFIs. 

Moreover, the AFI design eliminates the role previously played by the selection board in matters of promotion. The design will help as it eradicates the use of personal opinion in evaluating officers for promotions, which many times suffer the influence of bias. The design subjects all officers to standard criteria that capture concepts they are all familiar with in line with their respective qualifications. The officer takes the tests, and the results decide who qualifies for a promotion in a different field. At the same time, the criteria provide a tangible justification for the qualification ( Casey, 2016 ). However, the AFI design can still be made better by making a few adjustments to the current structure. For instance, the current design tests on one’s knowledge of the recommended appearance on an Air Force officer and fitness program, among others ( Casey, 2016 ). The design can be enhanced by incorporating six finely-tuned promotion levels. Precisely, the levels should include special warfare, nuclear as well as missile operations, space operations, air operations, combat assistance, and force modernization and information warfare. I believe the above six categories will ensure that officers compete in the concepts that they have specialized in during their training. 

  Ideally, it can be grossly unfair if an officer specialized in information warfare sits for the same evaluation test for promotion with an individual specializing in space operations. The two have different concepts, and thus the promotions will not have passed the credibility test. 

The design can also be enhanced by establishing a specific time within which the tests aimed at evaluating candidates for promotions take place. The former approach did not have a defined time for the exercise, and in most cases, it used to happen at the whims of an individual. Having a well-defined time when the training takes place helps individuals to prepare well for the exercise and give their best ( Casey, 2016 ). In addition, a definite time restores hope for officers who might not have qualified in the previous exercise to look forward with confidence with the understanding that another opportunity awaits in future at a similar time. The improvements suggested in the AFI design are grouped by function because each officer in every category plays a unique role. 

   1. Special warfare 

  They are deployed behind enemy lines to collect crucial information as well as identify critical targets ( Casey, 2016 ). 

   2. Space operations 

   Engage in space control activities to guarantee the freedom to perform any action by the U.S and its allies in space. Another duty of officers serving under this category is to deny enemies' freedom of action in the same area ( Casey, 2016 ). The function of this category is to attain space superiority. 

   3. Information warfare 

             The function of this entity is to conduct any action that would deny, destroy, corrupt, and exploit the enemy’s information as well as its features. The body further protects America by way of utilizing internal military information functions. The segment encompasses psychological operations warfare ( Casey, 2016 ). 

   4. Air operations 

   Functions under this include moving personnel as well as cargo, aerial tanker refueling, transporting military aircraft, among others ( Casey, 2016 ). 

   5. Nuclear and missile operation 

            This section deals with the formulation of missile and nuclear operations procedures and policies ( Casey, 2016 ). Officers in this category organize, plan, and direct shell and nuclear activity programs 

   6. Combat support and force modernization 

            The primary duty of officers serving under this category is to make adjustments on the material capacities to achieve all strategic goals. Modernization entails changing an existing technology, platform system, or weapon with another that has more capabilities ( Casey, 2016 ). 

Compensation Packages 

   Title 

   2nd Lt 

   $3,421 

   1st Lt 

   $4,159 

   Captain 

   $5,311 

   Maj 

   $6,140 

   Lt Co 

   $7,189 

   Col 

   $8,800 

   Brig 

   $10,500 

   Maj G 

   $12,379 

   Lt Ge 

   $14,976 

   Gen 

   $15,538 

Notably, the yearly increase fluctuated from one year to the other. Retirement applied after 20 years of service, and accrued leave stood at 2.5 days a month ( Casey, 2016 ). The Air Force also needs to establish a body that should take the mandate of reviewing the pay package of the officers after a given duration. The organization must harmonize the salaries of the officers to match the prevailing economic situation in the country. The payment package should be equivalent to the service offered and enough to sustain the officers and their families. It is my submission that the current retirement package requires improvement for it is grossly unfair for an officer who has served diligently for 20 years to take home 50 percent calculated on the base pay received. It is common knowledge that the retirement pension cannot support the officer’s basic standards of living ( Casey, 2016 ). Members who have retired from service end looking for a full-time job to maintain a normal lifestyle. In this regard, increasing the compensation package will enable retired officers to meet the costs of living without straining, as is the case now. 

Life for the retired officers is never easy, considering most of them experience difficulties in re-adjusting to civilian life after spending years in the forces. Coping up with daily needs has always proven to be a daunting task, which explains why most retirees suffer from depression ( Casey, 2016 ). The cost of living keeps increasing with each passing day while the retirement pension remains the same. The decision for a retired officer to engage in a fulltime job is always due to needs. The small salary that the officers earn while in active service cannot allow the making of investments such as building their homes for their retirement. According to Casey (2016), m ost officers retire from service and embark on buying a house using their retirement pension. The government should consider increasing the salary for the veterans to enable them to make investments while still in service. Similarly, the move will allow them to use their retirement pension in other income-generating activities that will help them earn enough cash for a decent living. Importantly, officers who serve for more than 20 years should be provided with permanent houses to enable them to live decently. Noteworthy, the government needs to establish a different pension package for physically disabled officers while in active service. Ideally, disabled offices find it even tougher to get employment when they leave the service. In summary, the federal government has not done much in terms of catering for the welfare of the retired officers ( Casey, 2016 ). However, they can be trained in making savings as a supplement to the retirement pension. Rationalization of all compensation packages will also be a solution towards the little packages that the officers earn. It defeats logic when individuals serving in the same force have a difference of over $900 ( Casey, 2016 ). Some form of rationalization is, therefore, required to reduce the gap between the highest and the lowest-paid officer. The huge pay gap demotivates the junior officers when they realize that they earn peanuts that can hardly meet their needs when their seniors take home hefty packages besides other allowances. 

In conclusion, Air Force officers provide an essential service to the country. They help to keep the American as well as its ally’s airspace safe. Air force officers undergo rigorous training before qualifying to serve in the force. Countries worldwide have invested heavily in military strength with the Air Force wing receiving a fair share of resources. Aviation technology in the military has become so crucial since the World Wars after nations witnessing the critical roles that the Air Force played during the combat. However, the Air Force has had a shambolic promotion exercise that lacked credibility. The introduction of AFI will help streamline the promotion exercise by making it transparent and credible. The payment package of the officers also needs to be reviewed upwards to ensure that the officers lead better lives even after retiring from service. 

References 

Casey, J. P. (2016).  A Case Study on Human Capital Mismanagement in the United States Air Force . Air Command and Staff College Maxwell AFB United States. 

Hansen, A. (2017).  The Airman Weapons System: Improving Human Capital Management in the US Air Force . Air Command and Staff College, Air University Maxwell AFB United States. 

Murray, E. R. (2017).  Blue Harvest: Evaluating Human Capital Management Policy for the 21st Century Air Force . SCHOOL OF ADVANCED AIR AND SPACE STUDIES AIR UNIVERSITY MAXWELL AFB United States. 

Nolan Jr, M. S. T., & Overstreet, D. R. E. (2018). Improving How the Air Force Develops High-Potential Officers.  Air & Space Power Journal ,  32 (2), 21-37.