| Popis: |
Since February 2004, the United States Air Force has made use of an In-Lieu-Of (ILO) policy which allows it to use its Airmen (basically as soldiers) to fill ground combat capability gaps. The numbers of Airmen deployed to ILO assignments is at best significant and at worst alarming. In fact in the period from February 2004 to July 2007, the Air Force deployed some 24,000 Airmen to fill ILO taskings. Many in defense circles, to include high-ranking Airmen, are now speculating that the ILO policy is having a negative effect on current and future Air Force capabilities. In actuality, the ILO policy may be affecting not just Air Force capabilities but Air Force resources, training, culture, ethics, and professionalism. This paper provides a brief background on the ILO policy and then provides an analysis that demonstrates a link between the current ILO issues and their potential future impacts on the resources, training, culture, ethics, and professionalism of the Air Force. |
