Pie chart : 6 months, DEPLOY, COMMIT, 6 MONTHS, REINTEGRATION, RESET, 6 MONTHS, BUILD READINESS PREPARE - 6 MONTHS, BUILD READINESS, CERTIFY. AFFORGEN AIR FORCE GENERATION The AFFORGEN deployment model facilitates better readiness and performance for a high-end fight by establishing a 24-month rotational cycle with six-month phases" * PREPARE for training toward peak readiness * CERTIFY ready for deployment * AVAILABLE TO COMMIT for deployment * RESET for reintegration and reconstitution.
Back for a C-130J Super Hercules on a runway with an airman at the release back door, sitting and waving. Another C-130J is also parked yards away.
An Airman from the 317th Airlift Wing waves from a C-130J Super Hercules at Dyess Air Force Base, TX, Sept. 6, 2023. Airmen served under the U.S. Central Command for six months of taskings before returning home to their families and friends, along with six C-130Js. USAF photo by SSgt Mercedes Bizzotto

Enhancing Air Force Deployment Preparedness: The Role of AFFORGEN

By Mrs. Lauren Fosnot, Staff Writer

The Air Force Force Generation (AFFORGEN) model, which replaced the Air Expeditionary Force deployment model, is a twenty-four-month cycle that provides a predictable rotation schedule to ensure Airmen are capable and ready to meet any mission that lies ahead. Logistically speaking, AFFORGEN provides increased clarity in deployment planning.

Lt Col Sean Stumpf, 40th Airlift Squadron Commander, and Lt Col Dave Mackintosh, 317th Airlift Wing Chief of Safety   at Dyess Air Force Base (AFB), TX, spoke with The Mobility Forum about their AFFORGEN deployment, which concluded in September 2023.

“From the Squadron perspective, this [deployment] is our first time going through a full AFFORGEN schedule,” explained Stumpf, the squadron commander. He shared that the deployment went well and brought a newfound sense of predictability to deployment preparation. According to Stumpf, knowing crucial details, such as destination, duration, personnel requirements, and aircraft allocation, allowed the squadron to plan effectively and execute missions with precision. This predictability is essential for peak performance when it is time to deploy.

A beneficial feature of the model, underscored by Mackintosh, is the certification event within the AFFORGEN framework. He explained that this event allows the “opportunity to more accurately communicate to higher headquarters what exercise we are looking for in preparation for the deployment.” Overall, the goal of the certification effort is “making sure we [Mobility Airmen] are at our peak performance when it is time to step out the door,” Stumpf added.

AFFORGEN is broken into four six-month sections throughout the twenty-four-month cycle: (1) Prepare,
(2) Certify, (3) Available to Commit (colloquially, “available”), and (4) Reset. Mobility Airmen build readiness through the Prepare phase, deploy during the Available to Commit phase, and reintegrate during the Reset phase. According to both colonels, this foundation builds upon itself.

Because of the familiarity and readiness AFFORGEN brings, Stumpf emphasized how crucial it is to guard against complacency. Even in familiar routines, Mobility Airmen should treat every sortie with the same level of focus and diligence, the Commander stated. This adherence to a safety mindset is evident by the squadron’s flawless safety record during the six-month deployment.

Mackintosh also added that safety and readiness are something the unit aspired to even before AFFORGEN. “We have to always strive to be as ready as we can all the time,” he stated.

Overall, AFFORGEN represents a paradigm shift in Air Force deployment preparation, bringing predictability, structure, and communication to the forefront. By leveraging this framework, units can ensure they are ready and fully prepared to execute missions with precision and effectiveness.

The 40th Airlift Squadron is a component of the 317th Airlift Wing at Dyess AFB, TX. The 317th Airlift Wing is assigned under the 18th Air Force and Air Mobility Command, Scott AFB, IL. For more than sixty-five years, the 317th Airlift Wing has championed the cause for tactical airlift, bearing upon a hundred nations the compassion and resolve of the United States and its allies.