Category: Air Force

Introduction

The site contains a history of development from the Paris Conference to the creation of the International Civil Aviation Organization (Pelser, 2022). Keywords: conferences, adoption of standards, certification, safety, historical value. The site is relevant because it helps to trace the history of the formation of airworthiness. This will allow the engineer to understand how ideas about airworthiness have changed (Title 14, IIF).

Aviation Laws and Regulations USA

The report covers the legislative aspect of aviation maintenance that ensures aircraft meet airworthiness (Wilson et al., 2022). Keywords: legislation, applicable acts, aviation safety, explanation of fines and risks. The report is relevant because it helps to understand the legislative side of airworthiness. The engineer understands the laws and understands which one applies to a particular area of work (Title 14, III).

Guide to aircraft airworthiness

The site is dedicated to explaining the requirements for the airworthiness of an aircraft and establishing a certification path (AOPA, n.d.). Keywords: requirements, aircraft, airworthiness. The site is relevant because it explains the scope of the laws and the reasons why airworthiness requirements have been adopted. The engineer will understand the consistency between the requirements and the actual performance of the work (Title 14, IIIC).

Requirements management applied in airworthiness certification in the civil aircraft

The article explains why certification is the most crucial step in civil aviation development (Wang & Zhang, 2020). Keywords: requirements, certification, civil aviation, regulations. The article is relevant to the task because it directly explains the value of certification and airworthiness acceptance processes. Using the article in an engineers practice will assimilate knowledge of airworthiness acceptance processes (Title 14-IC).

14 CFR Part 21  certification procedures for products and articles

The site provides a list of certification procedures for airworthiness parts and articles. Keywords: certification, aircraft, policy, public administration, airworthiness. The site is relevant because it includes a state list of certifications with explanations (Legal Information Institute, n.d.). This will help the engineer know how the verification and compliance certification procedure works (Title 14-IC).

A contemporary analysis of aircraft maintenance-related accidents and serious incidents

The article provides an overview of accidents that occur to aircraft and explains the causes of accidents (Insley & Tukoglu, 2020). Keywords: flight safety, aircraft accidents, airworthiness, compliance. The article is relevant because it analyzes airworthiness in the context of the consequences of non-compliance. An engineer will understand how his actions can lead to accidents (Title 14, II).

Development of the minimum equipment list: Current practice and the need for standardization

The article discusses the need for an aircraft to comply with standards to improve its safety (Obadimu et al., 2020). Keywords: requirements, safety, airworthiness, standardization. The paper is relevant because it identifies the need for certification. This will help the engineer learn the parameters for matching between actions and rules (Title 14-IC).

Integration-in-totality: The 7th system safety principle based on system thinking in aerospace safety

The article explains systems thinking as a fundamental element for safety from the perspective of airworthiness (Thomas et al., 2020). Keywords: airworthiness, safety, system thinking. The article is relevant because it explains the fundamental principles of airworthiness practice. This will help the engineer develop a systematic mindset for understanding the principles of airworthiness (Title 14, VI).

Learning from incidents in aircraft maintenance and continuing airworthiness: Regulation, practice, and gaps

The article provides an overview of regulatory practices and the actions of committees and personnel regarding aircraft safety (Clare & Kourousis, 2021). Keywords: aviation safety, competence, best practices. The article is relevant because it identifies best practices in airworthiness those guide personnel tactics. The engineer will benefit from statistical data about safety and airworthiness (Title 14, IIB).

A study of the air force airworthiness assessment process with recommendations for reusable launch vehicles

The paper presents an overview of airworthiness assessment and verification (Troya, 2018). Keywords: airworthiness, conformity assessment, assessment recommendations. The thesis is relevant because it explains the potential of airworthiness assessment techniques. The engineer should study the material to determine which methods win over others and for what reasons (Title 14, IIE).

References

14 CFR Part 21  certification procedures for products and articles (n.d.). Legal Information Institute.

Clare, J., & Kourousis, K. (2021). Learning from incidents in aircraft maintenance and continuing airworthiness: regulation, practice and gaps. Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, 93(2), 338-346.

Guide to aircraft airworthiness. (n.d.). AOPA.

Insley, J., & Tukoglu, C. (2020). A contemporary analysis of aircraft maintenance-related accidents and serious incidents. Aerospace, 8(46).

Obadimu, S. O., Karanikas, N., & Kourousis, K. I. (2020). Development of the minimum equipment list: Current practice and the need for standardisation. Aerospace, 7(7).

Pelser, A. (2022).The postal history of ICAO. International Civil Aviation Organization.

Thomas, J., Davis, A., & Samuel, M. P. (2020). Integration-in-totality: The 7th system safety principle based on system thinking in aerospace safety. Aerospace, 7(149).

Troya, A. A. (2018). A study of the air force airworthiness assessment process with recommendations for reusable launch vehicles (Publication No. AFIT-ENV-MS-18-M-241) [Masters Thesis]. Air Force Institute of Technology.

Wang, Y., & Zhang, X. (2020). Requirements management applied in airworthiness certification in the civil aircraft. Proceedings from IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, 751, 2019.

Wilson, D. W., Bowles, P. N., & Cunningham, J. M. (2022). Aviation laws and regulations USA. ICLG.

The focal point of the paper is to prepare a critic of the article Air Force tests alternative fuels (04/24/2008): will there be a coal-burning fleet in the wild green yonder? written by David Blake and published in the Military Periscope Special Reports on April 24, 2008. The author expresses his concern over the global price rise and politics of oil and illustrates the need for fuel and alternative fuel for the US. He indicates his article towards the use of CLT or coal as liquid fuel or synthetic fuel. He mentions that there is a negative side of the use of CLT as it emits more CO2 into the atmosphere and thus pollutes the environment. However, he insists that this use of CLT is needed in the immediate future in order to sustain the dominating power of the US. He illustrates the operations taken up by the US air force in view of CLT and thus the author is concern about the military supremacy of the US and about the global environment at the same time. However, though the article is more dominated with advocacy of the CLT, it does enumerate different alternate fuel sources and the mode of using CLT over the others. (Blake, 2008)

The main concern of the text is applying cleaner production means systematically addressing all phases of the production process and product life cycle of the CLT. Cleaner production encompasses energy and raw material conservation, reduction in the use of toxic substances and product, and process changes that reduce wastes and pollutants previously produced. All these options have the same aim, to reduce the risk of humans and the environment from industrial Activities and consumption, and to do so in the most cost-effective way possible. The fundamental issue of this production is to maintain a constant supply of fuel not only for military purposes but also for general usages. However, as the experiment is carried out by the air force, it is obvious that the focal point of the article would always look at the parameters of the authorities.

It is obvious that the manner in which the entire article was written makes it lucid and easily understandable by the non-technical and the general population. It does provide the occasional chemical details but that part is highly needed for the establishment of the argument in a persuasive manner. In this context, the author is highly successful. It should be mentioned that the article Air Force tests alternative fuels (04/24/2008): will there be a coal-burning fleet in the wild green yonder? written by David Blake is a very relevant text on the current need of the nation.

In conclusion, we may say that the advent of the human race has had an adverse effect on the environment. However, fact remains that there is a serious need for alternative fuel and the air force authorities are working on newer methods of creating alternative fuel so that there would not be any economic and strategic pressure on the US. Thus, I would rather agree with the point of view expressed by the author as he points more towards economic cost analysis and at the same time is sensitive towards environmental issues. This is a well-written and well-documented article and it is possible to agree with the point of view of the author as the article is mainly about the profits of the near future that the nation would benefit from.

References

Blake, David. (2008). Air Force tests alternative fuels: will there be a coal-burning fleet in the wild green yonder?.. Military Periscope Special Reports. NA. Academic OneFile. Gale. COLUMBIA SOUTHERN UNIV. Web.

Introduction

The Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) is a specialized force, which offers related support to the Air Force wing in the US. Preciously, this body supports communications, transportation missions, intelligence and natural disasters aftermaths such as aerial spray of mosquitoes and hurricane occurrences (Air Force Reserve Command, n.d.).

Notably, AFRC has to manage its information delivery systems during their operations in order to maintain its image and confidence to the public and its joint partners. Therefore, information requires high level of security to guard against leakage to the wrong parties. For instance, some information are deemed as private such that unauthorized and unauthenticated access by the public may cause instability in the nation while other pieces of information can easily be left for public access.

Private information, which are in the internet can be password protected. AFRC has outlined some of its set standards that information availability and distribution has to follow. These standards enable AFRC through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to uphold democracy in the society, accountability of leaders to the public, and monitor against vices like corruption.

Identifying ISS for AFRC

AFRC requires that agencies like military or government departments handling various information has to follow some well guided procedures in order to release it to the general public. For example, a given agency before publishing information on a federal register must state its content so that the public can comprehend the information.

This also involves location, methods and means by which the public can access the information for further action. The public inclusion involves interpretations and channels, which information must follow to the target destination. Remarkably, the outlined issues assist AFRC in ensuring that only the required classes of persons access the information. Moreover, the agency must avail information to the public for inspection and copying before final publication (Freedom of Information Act, n.d.).

The information may be that which affect a member of the forces. They do this to acquire varied and dissenting views regarding the intended publication. On the other hand, the agency can erase sensitive information that may be personal to prevent unauthorized access. The act of deleting some or all parts of the data must be explained succinctly in a written form in the published documents.

The agencies must also publish and distribute supplements that are considered practicable and necessary by order in the Federal Register. Certainly, AFRC applies high security regarding the information they have to release to the public.

Additionally, AFRC follows a specified rule in regards to allowing an individual to access any information. The rule clarifies on the timing fee and location under which the body can authenticate one to view the data. Although one has a right to get access to any agency records, there is an exemption that prohibits information access by the public.

If on request for information availability on a format that is already available, the agency is free to supply such information on a format that is reproducible. Availing records in electronic form is preferred if such act does not alters or interferes with the agencys automated information systems (Freedom of Information Act, n.d.). The agency ensures that it maintains its records in line with this provision. Pieces of information are extremely guarded to enhance privacy and safety.

The agencies according to the National Security Act of 1947 are not allowed to reveal or avail any record to a government body or its representative except territory or districts of the US. In line with this provision, each agency must formulate policies and regulations on how to levy a specified fee upon accepting to make such records available to the public and even establish conditions or scenarios when such fees can be removed or reduced (Freedom of Information Act, n.d.).

The Directors Office of Management and Budget ensures that the fees levied on such cases are uniform to all the agencies. The uniformity of the fee charged shall specify the intention of the request; for instance, commercial use or non-commercial use such as scientific research. Alternatively, the act asserts that a minimum charge can be levied on information that attracts public interest or attention that is, it can essentially help the public to understand the operation of their government.

The fee charged under this request only includes the direct cost that was incurred in the reproduction of these records. Again, a request that has more than one hundred pages attracts no fee for the first one hundred pages that is duplicated. Fee advancement is prohibited except if the requester had at one time faulted fee payment on a timely basis or the fee to be charged exceeds $250 (Freedom of Information Act., n.d.). From the above fee applications and exemptions, AFRC guards unauthorized information reproducibility.

Moreover, the AFRC does not use an individuals personal information for any other activity apart from responding to a persons questions (The Presence of Commercial/External Links, n.d.). The body also advices people not to provide their personal details only if required by the Social Security Administration.

Further, it gives the process of disabling session cookies so that statistical information collected are solely used for identifying designs of systems, network trafficking, frequency of information accessibility and performance of systems.

Comparing ISS

All these ISS are meant to avert any computer abuse and fraud. The infrastructure computers are meant to provide information to all stakeholders. These services may include communication and transport services, health and clean water supply, and banking services.

Therefore, ISS helps in eliminating cases of cybercrimes in organizations; for instance, organizations will update their policies concerning cyber security. In case of such felony, the victim is imprisoned for the terms that are outlined in the National Security Section. The US Air force wing will be able to track any intruder who can be accessing the states and federal governments security details (The Presence of Commercial/External Links, n.d.).

Likewise, these ISS help to protect privacy of peoples details. For example, details of an employee like payment rates and level of education can cause discrimination at the workplace if accessed by a third party.

As a result, these records should be password protected. Both the private and public sectors are collaborating to create awareness on cyber security among the internet users. Comparing, the last information security system and that of allowing one to access data from already kept records; it is evident that AFRC aims at ensuring high security level for all the national data that it controls.

In addition, in analyzing the fees levied on information releases, the US Air Force wing is trying to uphold the nations integrity on certain sensitive information. Besides, ISS shows that extremely sensitive pieces of information are password protected. Therefore, these ISS are maintaining the security of data or records that they keep (Freedom of Information Act., n.d.).

When they do this, an unauthenticated and an unauthorized information access is denied or kept at bay. In case one is tracked to be using some data for commercial purposes he/she faces a court proceeding for the wrongful act.

Contrasting ISS

In analyzing the first and the third ISS outlined, information access is given a well guided procedure by the former but the latter offers a way out that people can easily access sensitive issues.

Precisely, those who have funds can easily access the nations sensitive information at the expense of those who have no ready funds. Obviously, this shows discrimination in terms of socio-economic status. This act if not handled carefully can lead to a massive revolution that will demand for equality in service delivery to the public.

The ISS upholds privacy of data. However, the act of monitoring people as they access information in the internet shows that privacy is at the same time not upheld. This is a great contrary to the ISS that AFRC has put forward in a blanket manner.

The idea of tracking for the purpose of collecting statistical data is revoking the same provisions of information security as it results to tracking (The Presence of Commercial/External Links, n.d.). From this point of view, information in the World Wide Web seems to expose a persons privacy such as location and computer information like internet protocol address.

Although AFRC has made tremendous steps towards achieving total information protection, it still requires a leveled review that would avoid certain sensitive and contradictory scenarios that have been noticed above.

References

Air Force Reserve Command. (n.d.). United States Military Information. Web.

Freedom of Information Act. (n.d.). Air Force Reserve Command. Web.

The Presence of Commercial/External Links. (n.d.). Air Force Reserve Command. Web.

Hi, my name is Rolando Perez and I had the honor and pleasure to interview my veteran of choice who is the special ed teacher at my school and is a veteran who served with the United States Air Force. I am grateful because he had time for me to make this interview successful during my time in school and also because this would not have been possible without his cooperation. But most importantly thankful to him for serving our country.

Mr.Victor Cuellar lived in Weslaco, Texas, during the time he was enlisted in the United States Air Force. His initial entry date was on the 23rd of November 1981 at the age of 19. while he completed his service which was on the 24th of November of 1991 at the age of 29. He did not serve any time for the national guard or reserve, But his highest rank or grade level while serving for the United States Air Force was the (E-4). When asked, why did you decide to join the United States Air Force he responded by saying, “I wanted to serve my country and travel places around the world”.

Mr. Cullar’s occupational specialty and title were (USAF 304XO), which he was able to choose, and was an electronic technician. He also received specialized training while serving like (TRC 170) radio training and (30450) training. Most of that training came from (Keesler AFB) and, (30430 & 30450) training. And also in 1983 where he spent 3 months at the Desert Shield in Saudi Arabia. Most Of that training played in when he was stationed in Turkey at the (60nd TACCS) during the bombing of Libya in 1986 (Operation El Dorado Canyon). That is where he applied most of his skills and where he applied most of his knowledge.

When ask about where and with whom did you serve, he responded by saying “I served with the (602nd TACCS) squad and was a Sargent where he was located in Texas, in the Bergstrom Air force Base.” also served in Malatia, Turkey during 1986-1987.” He was a marksman during those times and used M-16, 45 cal, and 9mm weapons.

I also asked Mr. Cuellar if he had key leaders whom he had served with or who were important or memorable to him and he answered by saying “ A unit commander named leak in the unit of (602nd TACCS) squad with the rank of (Lt Col) was a leader who made me follow through and made me a better person.” Also (Ssgt) Thomas D. Ess who was in the unit of the (602nd TACCS) squad and was a Radio Relay Supervisor who I got most of my knowledge from and made me a better person as I spend time with.” Also, Robert many with the rank of (SMSGT) in the unit of (602nd TACCS) and his job was the control supervisor, who guided me in my work and made me perfect my job as I served for the United States Air force.” Those were some buddies and key leaders with whom he spend time within the Air Force. He gave them credit for his work and knowledge.

The most important skills Mr. Cuellar learned while he served for his country in the United States Air force was setting equipment during deployment, surviving skills, and how to work on electronic devices which were his main profession. But most importantly was ensuring job completion was done in a timely matter to make work faster and easier. I asked my cuellar what the primary mission of his unit was and he responded by saying, “ communication from the front lines and command and control were key.” I also asked him what were the primary equipment, vehicles, or weapons he used or operated while serving for the air force and he replied by saying,” I used an M16 weapon as a primary use and I dealt with operating with 4×4 trucks, 2-ton trucks, and 5k truck to transport goods. The equipment I mostly operated with was the (TRC-97 & TRC-170) Radio to communicate.”

The most important duty assignment Mr. Cuellar had was to be an,”(Electronic Technician).” He said,” because that’s what gets everything going and operating and makes things happen.” The most important skill he learned was to be a Marksman and to be a technician for electronics. Throughout his whole service, he had many high points but the main ones he had and fulfilled were traveling to various parts of the United States and the world. The places that fascinated him the most were going to Turkey and Saudi Arabia, Bahrain. That was something he has always wanted to do before enlisting in the United States Air Force and proceed to do during his service. Also, his main high points were meeting new people and friends because he said “I learned about people throughout as I traveled to places and I learned to value and appreciate more.”

Some low points Mr. Victor Cuellar experienced during the time he served for the air force were being recalled and having to wait in the Flight line for places for departure. But the downfall moment he had was spending time without his family and friends back from his home place during his service. But nothing keep him down because he knew he was making them proud and he did it for his country that he loves.

To finish it off I asked Mr. Cuellar if he had any message for the future generation to understand about the time you served for the (USAF) and he replied by saying, “No Matter which branch of Service a person chooses to belong to, he or she needs to make it the best time in their lives. There is nothing like serving your country and no matter who is the president at the time of service, do your job and life take care of itself.”

Mr. Cuellar currently does not pertain to any type of veteran organization or member of any sort.

The Air Force Medical Services aims to support the mission by the implementation of full spectrum medical readiness. Air Force dentists should strive to deliver quality care and encourage healthy behaviors in order to maintain medically ready airmen. The best way to improve oral health is by focusing on low-cost prevention rather than high-cost treatment. Preventive dentistry aims to reduce the incidence and prevalence of disease by focusing on prevention. Every Air Force dental clinic has a preventive dentistry program that oversees caries/periodontal management and prevention, community outreach, tobacco cessation and counseling and trauma prevention. The impact of the preventive dentistry program is currently limited by time, cost, manning, and participation. By improving preventive care, we can take strides to maximize Air Force readiness and productivity.

The most efficient way to prioritize prevention is by utilizing dental population health metrics collected at annual dental exams, recorded in corporate dental system, and published in an annual Oral Health Report (OHR). Analysis of the OHR (FY01-17) has revealed that high caries risk (HCR) and dental readiness class 3 is most common amongst junior enlisted. Periodontal disease increases with age and is more common in males and certain career fields (logistics and support). Tobacco use was found to be higher in males, junior enlisted, unmarried personnel, and logistics and support career fields. This is important because tobacco use is positively associated with HCR, periodontal disease, and dental readiness class 3. Overall, there has been a decrease in tobacco use from 2001-2017, but smokeless tobacco use has increased. There is currently no option to track vaping but an update is in the works. By using this information, we are able to identify and target at-risk populations/units.

The preventive dentistry program faces many problems. The success of prevention relies heavily on patient compliance, which is currently not enforced by the squadrons. Broken appointments act as a double blow by not treating the patient or a patient who could have been treated. The dental corps is also undermanned by dentists, registered dental hygienists, and prophy techs resulting in fewer appointments available. Currently at LRAFB, there is a lack of squadron briefings conveying our issues and providing education. Lastly, there is no clear pathway for patients who are interested in quitting tobacco products, which contribute to many health problems. The preventive dentistry program can be greatly improved by focusing on our high-risk junior enlisted, increasing squadron support, offering squadron briefings, increasing manning, and developing a clear tobacco cessation plan.

I believe our first efforts should focus on our junior enlisted. When young airmen first attend basic military training, they are taught about military bearing. They are expected to hold themselves to a certain standard and represent the Air Force. I believe this should extend to their health. Upon arrival to Lackland AFB, incoming members are required to pass through dental for a panoramic X-ray. During this time, we should take a few minutes to review oral hygiene instructions, which shouldn’t be a problem at Lackland AFB, home to every specialty of dentistry. In addition to that, I believe implementing brushing for two minutes twice a day should be enforced at BMT. This small addition could be pivotal in teaching disciplined airmen how to conduct themselves on a daily basis. In addition to that, an airman’s first introduction to a new base is through FTAC. In the past, dental would give a 5 min briefing to inform airmen of the services available. This segment was cut from FTAC briefings and I believe it should be re-implemented. The effect of focusing on junior enlisted will be an improvement in oral hygiene resulting in a decrease in oral disease, treatment expense, and lost man-hours. This plan can potentially backfire if some airmen relate brushing their teeth to BMT and try to avoid it. Overall, I believe the net effects will result in healthier, more disciplined airmen.

Individual squadron support will be crucial to increasing compliance and ensuring their young airmen stay disciplined. I propose implementing squadron report cards that will report dental readiness stats, lost man-hours, and money lost by broken appointments. By seeing how much work time high-risk individuals are missing, squadron commanders will be more likely to hold their members accountable. We need squadron commanders to support and enforce mandatory participation in the HCR program and discipline their members for broken appointments that could have been used to treat other members. The effects of implementing squadron report cards may increase squadron support resulting in overall healthier squadrons. Some negative effects may be increasing busy work/annoying squadron leaders leading to resentment and loss of support. However, I think seeing improving numbers in squadron report cards will help keep commanders invested.

Offering squadron briefings can help educate and may increase compliance. The formation of medical briefing teams can also be advantageous in promoting overall health and readiness. We can use population health metrics to identify the high-risk squadrons and offer the deployment of a medical briefing team comprised of various clinics such as dental, mental health, physical therapy, and others who can contribute. This will ensure that all healthcare teams are working together and can improve multidisciplinary issues. For example, a dentist, psychologist, and physician can work together to develop an efficient plan for tobacco cessation and counseling. The dental team member would focus on self-care such as oral hygiene instructions, nutritional counseling, tobacco education, and/or trauma prevention. This will also be beneficial in advertising the resources that different clinics offer. Squadron briefings will result in more educated airmen and hopefully lead to higher compliance and improved health. A negative result is that these briefings can, and probably will, be seen as just another briefing/waste of time and may result in less productivity if an extra meeting is added. However, these briefings can be conducted on training days, during classes, or even during roll call to minimize the impact on performance.

Currently the dental corps is getting smaller, but I believe it should be growing the number of prophy techs and dental hygienists to ensure adequate coverage. Civilian practices promote two cleanings a year and currently the Air Force only strives for one. The effects of improving periodontal health will result in healthier teeth/gums and lead to lower incidence of disease and save money/treatment over time. A negative effect of offering more cleanings is more appointments resulting in an initial decrease of productivity, but will likely result in fewer appointments over a career. Also, the Air Force will have to spend a lot of money to hire/train personnel. With the transition to DHA taking place this is unfortunately the least likely change to take place.

Last but not least, improvements must be made to the current tobacco cessation plan. There is no clear avenue for a patient to quit tobacco products. At this point in time, dental and mental health only provide tobacco counseling and encourage patients to seek assistance (nicotine replacement therapy) from their PCM. Dentists can be credentialed to manage tobacco cessation medications but currently lack training opportunities. I believe getting dental more heavily involved in tobacco management will lead to more successful tobacco cessation. This will also free up more medical appointments by freeing up PCM’s. A potential problem with this is potentially increasing the work for dentists who are already facing manning issues. However, I believe that investing that time now will result in less disease in the future.

The preventive dentistry program can be improved in many ways requiring the support of the Air Force, patients, supervisors, and dental teams. There will be an initial investment in time and money, but the results will be healthier more disciplined airmen leading to an increase in productivity and readiness. The increased presence of dental may lead to resentment/annoyance that could decrease compliance, but outreach will likely result in a favorable outcome. There have been a lot of proposed changes making implementation difficult. However, if at least one of these changes sticks, I believe we will see a positive net result.

The focal point of the paper is to prepare a critic of the article “Air Force tests alternative fuels (04/24/2008): will there be a coal-burning fleet in the wild green yonder?” written by David Blake and published in the Military Periscope Special Reports on April 24, 2008. The author expresses his concern over the global price rise and politics of oil and illustrates the need for fuel and alternative fuel for the US. He indicates his article towards the use of CLT or coal as liquid fuel or synthetic fuel. He mentions that there is a negative side of the use of CLT as it emits more CO2 into the atmosphere and thus pollutes the environment. However, he insists that this use of CLT is needed in the immediate future in order to sustain the dominating power of the US. He illustrates the operations taken up by the US air force in view of CLT and thus the author is concern about the military supremacy of the US and about the global environment at the same time. However, though the article is more dominated with advocacy of the CLT, it does enumerate different alternate fuel sources and the mode of using CLT over the others. (Blake, 2008)

The main concern of the text is applying cleaner production means systematically addressing all phases of the production process and product life cycle of the CLT. Cleaner production encompasses energy and raw material conservation, reduction in the use of toxic substances and product, and process changes that reduce wastes and pollutants previously produced. All these options have the same aim, to reduce the risk of humans and the environment from industrial Activities and consumption, and to do so in the most cost-effective way possible. The fundamental issue of this production is to maintain a constant supply of fuel not only for military purposes but also for general usages. However, as the experiment is carried out by the air force, it is obvious that the focal point of the article would always look at the parameters of the authorities.

It is obvious that the manner in which the entire article was written makes it lucid and easily understandable by the non-technical and the general population. It does provide the occasional chemical details but that part is highly needed for the establishment of the argument in a persuasive manner. In this context, the author is highly successful. It should be mentioned that the article “Air Force tests alternative fuels (04/24/2008): will there be a coal-burning fleet in the wild green yonder?” written by David Blake is a very relevant text on the current need of the nation.

In conclusion, we may say that the advent of the human race has had an adverse effect on the environment. However, fact remains that there is a serious need for alternative fuel and the air force authorities are working on newer methods of creating alternative fuel so that there would not be any economic and strategic pressure on the US. Thus, I would rather agree with the point of view expressed by the author as he points more towards economic cost analysis and at the same time is sensitive towards environmental issues. This is a well-written and well-documented article and it is possible to agree with the point of view of the author as the article is mainly about the profits of the near future that the nation would benefit from.

References

Blake, David. (2008). “Air Force tests alternative fuels: will there be a coal-burning fleet in the wild green yonder?..” Military Periscope Special Reports. NA. Academic OneFile. Gale. COLUMBIA SOUTHERN UNIV. Web.

Introduction

The site contains a history of development from the Paris Conference to the creation of the International Civil Aviation Organization (Pelser, 2022). Keywords: conferences, adoption of standards, certification, safety, historical value. The site is relevant because it helps to trace the history of the formation of airworthiness. This will allow the engineer to understand how ideas about airworthiness have changed (Title 14, IIF).

Aviation Laws and Regulations USA

The report covers the legislative aspect of aviation maintenance that ensures aircraft meet airworthiness (Wilson et al., 2022). Keywords: legislation, applicable acts, aviation safety, explanation of fines and risks. The report is relevant because it helps to understand the legislative side of airworthiness. The engineer understands the laws and understands which one applies to a particular area of work (Title 14, III).

Guide to aircraft airworthiness

The site is dedicated to explaining the requirements for the airworthiness of an aircraft and establishing a certification path (AOPA, n.d.). Keywords: requirements, aircraft, airworthiness. The site is relevant because it explains the scope of the laws and the reasons why airworthiness requirements have been adopted. The engineer will understand the consistency between the requirements and the actual performance of the work (Title 14, IIIC).

Requirements management applied in airworthiness certification in the civil aircraft

The article explains why certification is the most crucial step in civil aviation development (Wang & Zhang, 2020). Keywords: requirements, certification, civil aviation, regulations. The article is relevant to the task because it directly explains the value of certification and airworthiness acceptance processes. Using the article in an engineer’s practice will assimilate knowledge of airworthiness acceptance processes (Title 14-IC).

14 CFR Part 21 – certification procedures for products and articles

The site provides a list of certification procedures for airworthiness parts and articles. Keywords: certification, aircraft, policy, public administration, airworthiness. The site is relevant because it includes a state list of certifications with explanations (Legal Information Institute, n.d.). This will help the engineer know how the verification and compliance certification procedure works (Title 14-IC).

A contemporary analysis of aircraft maintenance-related accidents and serious incidents

The article provides an overview of accidents that occur to aircraft and explains the causes of accidents (Insley & Tukoglu, 2020). Keywords: flight safety, aircraft accidents, airworthiness, compliance. The article is relevant because it analyzes airworthiness in the context of the consequences of non-compliance. An engineer will understand how his actions can lead to accidents (Title 14, II).

Development of the minimum equipment list: Current practice and the need for standardization

The article discusses the need for an aircraft to comply with standards to improve its safety (Obadimu et al., 2020). Keywords: requirements, safety, airworthiness, standardization. The paper is relevant because it identifies the need for certification. This will help the engineer learn the parameters for matching between actions and rules (Title 14-IC).

Integration-in-totality: The 7th system safety principle based on system thinking in aerospace safety

The article explains systems thinking as a fundamental element for safety from the perspective of airworthiness (Thomas et al., 2020). Keywords: airworthiness, safety, system thinking. The article is relevant because it explains the fundamental principles of airworthiness practice. This will help the engineer develop a systematic mindset for understanding the principles of airworthiness (Title 14, VI).

Learning from incidents in aircraft maintenance and continuing airworthiness: Regulation, practice, and gaps

The article provides an overview of regulatory practices and the actions of committees and personnel regarding aircraft safety (Clare & Kourousis, 2021). Keywords: aviation safety, competence, best practices. The article is relevant because it identifies best practices in airworthiness those guide personnel tactics. The engineer will benefit from statistical data about safety and airworthiness (Title 14, IIB).

A study of the air force airworthiness assessment process with recommendations for reusable launch vehicles

The paper presents an overview of airworthiness assessment and verification (Troya, 2018). Keywords: airworthiness, conformity assessment, assessment recommendations. The thesis is relevant because it explains the potential of airworthiness assessment techniques. The engineer should study the material to determine which methods win over others and for what reasons (Title 14, IIE).

References

14 CFR Part 21 – certification procedures for products and articles (n.d.). Legal Information Institute.

Clare, J., & Kourousis, K. (2021). Learning from incidents in aircraft maintenance and continuing airworthiness: regulation, practice and gaps. Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, 93(2), 338-346.

Guide to aircraft airworthiness. (n.d.). AOPA.

Insley, J., & Tukoglu, C. (2020). A contemporary analysis of aircraft maintenance-related accidents and serious incidents. Aerospace, 8(46).

Obadimu, S. O., Karanikas, N., & Kourousis, K. I. (2020). Development of the minimum equipment list: Current practice and the need for standardisation. Aerospace, 7(7).

Pelser, A. (2022).The postal history of ICAO. International Civil Aviation Organization.

Thomas, J., Davis, A., & Samuel, M. P. (2020). Integration-in-totality: The 7th system safety principle based on system thinking in aerospace safety. Aerospace, 7(149).

Troya, A. A. (2018). A study of the air force airworthiness assessment process with recommendations for reusable launch vehicles (Publication No. AFIT-ENV-MS-18-M-241) [Master’s Thesis]. Air Force Institute of Technology.

Wang, Y., & Zhang, X. (2020). Requirements management applied in airworthiness certification in the civil aircraft. Proceedings from IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, 751, 2019.

Wilson, D. W., Bowles, P. N., & Cunningham, J. M. (2022). Aviation laws and regulations USA. ICLG.

While promoting change in the organization, it is necessary to develop an effective plan of actions according to which the change can be successfully implemented and supported. Many human resource management policies and initiatives are not effective enough to improve the procedures in organizations because they are not associated with the promotion of significant changes. Thus, it is important to discuss the strategies used to create and sustain the change in such organizations as the United States Air Force in detail, in order to determine the strategy’s important steps.

Description of the Organization

The United States Air Force (USAF) is a branch of the US Armed Forces which provides the military air services since September of 1947. The USAF is a large organization which specializes in supporting the US military air forces at the highest level. Previously, the organization was the part of the US Army, but it was reformed in 1947 in order to establish the separate services branch (Gildea, 2014). The organization works to support the US surface forces with more than 330,000 active personnel, more than 180,000 civilian personnel, and 100,000 air guard personnel (McDonald, 2014). In order to manage the work of all the personnel effectively, the organization needs to pay more attention to revising the management strategies and approaches.

The Human Resource Management Policy to Be Changed

In their managerial practice, the USAF uses Enlisted Performance Reports (EPRs) as a specific evaluation form to provide the feedback on the airman’s performance. Recently, the USAF managers initiated the reformation of the current policy in order to avoid inflating the system. The problem is in the fact that ratings stated with the help of the EPRs are often far from the real situation, and they cannot reflect the real performance of the airmen while affecting the quality of all the services provided. The USAF management initiated the reformation of the evaluation system to improve the promotion process or the Weighted Airman Promotion System (WAPS) (McDonald, 2014).

The main goal of the HR initiative is to improve the EPRs, simplify the evaluation process, and improve the promotion process in order to avoid the reduction of the services’ quality. However, the proposed HR initiative and policy improvement should be revised and changed because of the observable weaknesses of the system. Much attention should be paid to dividing the change process into separate stages.

Reasons to Make the Change

Three important reasons to promote the change and reformation of the evaluation and promotion processes in the USAF can be discussed in detail. The first reason is the necessity to make the promotion process associated with the WAPS more simple, effective, transparent, and profitable. The problem is in the fact that the current promotion process followed in the organization is not performance-based in spite of the requirements to measure and emphasize performance while working according to the WAPS. The second reason is the necessity to create the conditions for the equal evaluations of all the airmen in spite of their schedule and work time.

It is important to avoid focusing on the benefits for different groups of the personnel because all the airmen should be evaluated according to their performance and without depending on the external factors. The next reason to promote the change is the necessity to make the evaluation process properly scheduled and fixed in order to support the effective promotion process.

The Recommended Change

The recommended change to improve the current policy includes the focus on such aspects as the necessity to develop and propose new variants of the EPRs, the necessity to improve the WAPS calculation, the necessity to reduce the constant high flow of the ERPs reviewed by leaders, and the necessity to make the procedure less time-consuming (Gildea, 2014). Thus, the modification of the Enlisted Evaluation System and the WAPS is recommended to be realized in several stages where the first stage is the development and introduction of new EPR forms to include promotion recommendations, the second stage is the reformation of the WAPS calculation system to focus on the recent airmen’s performance, and the third stage is the development and implementation of the static schedule for the performance evaluation at all the levels in order to reduce the administrative time.

The Strategy to Address Eight Stages of Change

At the first stage of creating the change in the organization, it is necessary to establish a sense of urgency. While discussing the situation in the USAF, it is important to draw the stakeholders’ attention to the fact that the weak evaluation system affects not only the promotion process but also leads to the constant decrease of the services’ quality because of the absence of the adequate evaluation system (Kotter, 2012, p. 23). It is important to state at meetings that the system will inflate and corrupt without updating the EPRs and basic requirements. Thus, it is important to note that the development of the effective plan to improve the Enlisted Evaluation System is necessary.

The second step is the creation of the coalition. The coalition should involve personnel managers, senior noncommissioned officers, supervisors, chief master sergeants, and technical sergeants who are responsible for evaluating the airmen’s performance at the current stage. The responsibility for developing the revised evaluation procedure should be delegated between managers, officials, and chief master sergeants.

While developing the vision at the third stage, it is necessary to draw the authorities’ attention to the fact that the improved Enlisted Evaluation System is the main step not only to making the WAPS effective but also to making the USAF most structured and productive organization. The fourth stage is the use of strategies to communicating the vision. In order to make the Enlisted Evaluation System more workable and the promotion process more representative, it is important to inform the coalition and all the personnel about the benefits which follow the change with the help of face-to-face communication, online messages, and written reports.

While empowering the action and overcoming obstacles, it is necessary to ensure the leaders and personnel that the improved HR initiative is more effective than the current variant of the policy because of reducing the administration efforts and becoming more objective and performance-based. The focus on generating short-term positive results is also important because it is necessary to demonstrate for the team that the effective completion of all the recommended stages leads to observable positive changes in the evaluation process and actual performance of the personnel (Kotter, 2012, p. 23). Concentrating on these wins, it is also possible to move to the seventh stage and produce more change while implementing the proposed plans as the regular schedules. Finally, anchoring the changes and strategies, it is necessary to report on the gained benefits and improvements in the evaluation and promotion processes which can be realized more efficiently now.

Potential Resistance to Change

The supervisors and the personnel can resist to the change because of relying on the tradition and because of the necessity of adaptation to new schedules, EPR forms, and reports. The inadequate evaluation which prevents the effective promotion can be observed in the organization during a long period of time even if the change is promoted (Palmer, Dunford, & Akin, 2009, p. 112). In order to overcome the resistance to change, it is necessary to ensure supervisors, managers, and airmen that the changes in the procedures do not lead to making the process more complex. The advantages and short-term positive outcomes such as the simplification of the procedure, transparency, and adequate administration should be accentuated during face-to-face meetings.

Communication Strategies

The communication strategy to use while promoting change is the discussion of the main visions and ideas with the coalition at face-to-face meetings. Face-to-face communication is preferable because the participants receive the opportunity to ask and answer questions and share opinions immediately. The second communication strategy is the use of online resources and technologies in order to communicate short-term wins, the progress, and successes as well as to organize online conferences (Palmer et al., 2009, p. 81). The third strategy is the use of written reports to share all the important data and facts with stakeholders.

Diagnostic Tools to Identify the Changes

To identify the changes which should be made in the organization, it is helpful to use such diagnostic tools as the collection of the data with the help of interview and the further statistical analysis of the data and the collection of the data with the help of observation. The first diagnostic tool is based on the survey, and it provides the important quantitative information. The second tool is effective to discuss the areas for the further reformation, modification, and improvement in order to prevent conflicts.

Strategies for Sustaining the Change

The change in the organization can be sustained with the help of such two strategies as the promotion of the performance-oriented approach in all the organization’s departments and the fixation of the developed schedule for planned evaluations in the organization. The main goal of the change is to support the performance-based evaluation strategies. That is why, the focus on promoting the change in all the departments is necessary. Influencing the evaluation and promotion procedures at all the levels, it is possible to sustain change during a long period of time (Palmer et al., 2009, p. 54). Applying the fixed schedule to the promotion system is also necessary to gain benefits from the change.

Conclusion

The Enlisted Evaluation System policy used by the USAF should be improved in order to support the WAPS and create the effective conditions for the promotion process. That is why, the managers of the USAF proposed the rational initiatives for reforming the current management system which is operated in the organization many years. In spite of the fact that the initiative is rather effective, and significant positive outcomes can be predicted, the proposed changes are not efficiently fixed at the current stage of the policy’s discussion, development, and implementation.

References

Gildea, D. (2014). AF implements static EPR closeout dates, eliminates change of reporting. Web.

Kotter, J. (2012). Leading change. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press. Web.

McDonald, A. (2014). Air Force to change enlisted evaluations, promotions. Web.

Palmer, I., Dunford, R., & Akin, G. (2009). Managing organizational change: A multiple perspectives approach. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Web.

Introduction

The Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) is a specialized force, which offers related support to the Air Force wing in the US. Preciously, this body supports communications, transportation missions, intelligence and natural disasters aftermaths such as aerial spray of mosquitoes and hurricane occurrences (Air Force Reserve Command, n.d.).

Notably, AFRC has to manage its information delivery systems during their operations in order to maintain its image and confidence to the public and its joint partners. Therefore, information requires high level of security to guard against leakage to the wrong parties. For instance, some information are deemed as private such that unauthorized and unauthenticated access by the public may cause instability in the nation while other pieces of information can easily be left for public access.

Private information, which are in the internet can be password protected. AFRC has outlined some of its set standards that information availability and distribution has to follow. These standards enable AFRC through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to uphold democracy in the society, accountability of leaders to the public, and monitor against vices like corruption.

Identifying ISS for AFRC

AFRC requires that agencies like military or government departments handling various information has to follow some well guided procedures in order to release it to the general public. For example, a given agency before publishing information on a federal register must state its content so that the public can comprehend the information.

This also involves location, methods and means by which the public can access the information for further action. The public inclusion involves interpretations and channels, which information must follow to the target destination. Remarkably, the outlined issues assist AFRC in ensuring that only the required classes of persons access the information. Moreover, the agency must avail information to the public for inspection and copying before final publication (Freedom of Information Act, n.d.).

The information may be that which affect a member of the forces. They do this to acquire varied and dissenting views regarding the intended publication. On the other hand, the agency can erase sensitive information that may be personal to prevent unauthorized access. The act of deleting some or all parts of the data must be explained succinctly in a written form in the published documents.

The agencies must also publish and distribute supplements that are considered practicable and necessary by order in the Federal Register. Certainly, AFRC applies high security regarding the information they have to release to the public.

Additionally, AFRC follows a specified rule in regards to allowing an individual to access any information. The rule clarifies on the timing fee and location under which the body can authenticate one to view the data. Although one has a right to get access to any agency records, there is an exemption that prohibits information access by the public.

If on request for information availability on a format that is already available, the agency is free to supply such information on a format that is reproducible. Availing records in electronic form is preferred if such act does not alters or interferes with the agency’s automated information systems (Freedom of Information Act, n.d.). The agency ensures that it maintains its records in line with this provision. Pieces of information are extremely guarded to enhance privacy and safety.

The agencies according to the National Security Act of 1947 are not allowed to reveal or avail any record to a government body or its representative except territory or districts of the US. In line with this provision, each agency must formulate policies and regulations on how to levy a specified fee upon accepting to make such records available to the public and even establish conditions or scenarios when such fees can be removed or reduced (Freedom of Information Act, n.d.).

The Directors Office of Management and Budget ensures that the fees levied on such cases are uniform to all the agencies. The uniformity of the fee charged shall specify the intention of the request; for instance, commercial use or non-commercial use such as scientific research. Alternatively, the act asserts that a minimum charge can be levied on information that attracts public interest or attention that is, it can essentially help the public to understand the operation of their government.

The fee charged under this request only includes the direct cost that was incurred in the reproduction of these records. Again, a request that has more than one hundred pages attracts no fee for the first one hundred pages that is duplicated. Fee advancement is prohibited except if the requester had at one time faulted fee payment on a timely basis or the fee to be charged exceeds $250 (Freedom of Information Act., n.d.). From the above fee applications and exemptions, AFRC guards unauthorized information reproducibility.

Moreover, the AFRC does not use an individual’s personal information for any other activity apart from responding to a person’s questions (The Presence of Commercial/External Links, n.d.). The body also advices people not to provide their personal details only if required by the Social Security Administration.

Further, it gives the process of disabling session cookies so that statistical information collected are solely used for identifying designs of systems, network trafficking, frequency of information accessibility and performance of systems.

Comparing ISS

All these ISS are meant to avert any computer abuse and fraud. The infrastructure computers are meant to provide information to all stakeholders. These services may include communication and transport services, health and clean water supply, and banking services.

Therefore, ISS helps in eliminating cases of cybercrimes in organizations; for instance, organizations will update their policies concerning cyber security. In case of such felony, the victim is imprisoned for the terms that are outlined in the National Security Section. The US Air force wing will be able to track any intruder who can be accessing the states and federal governments’ security details (The Presence of Commercial/External Links, n.d.).

Likewise, these ISS help to protect privacy of people’s details. For example, details of an employee like payment rates and level of education can cause discrimination at the workplace if accessed by a third party.

As a result, these records should be password protected. Both the private and public sectors are collaborating to create awareness on cyber security among the internet users. Comparing, the last information security system and that of allowing one to access data from already kept records; it is evident that AFRC aims at ensuring high security level for all the national data that it controls.

In addition, in analyzing the fees levied on information releases, the US Air Force wing is trying to uphold the nation’s integrity on certain sensitive information. Besides, ISS shows that extremely sensitive pieces of information are password protected. Therefore, these ISS are maintaining the security of data or records that they keep (Freedom of Information Act., n.d.).

When they do this, an unauthenticated and an unauthorized information access is denied or kept at bay. In case one is tracked to be using some data for commercial purposes he/she faces a court proceeding for the wrongful act.

Contrasting ISS

In analyzing the first and the third ISS outlined, information access is given a well guided procedure by the former but the latter offers a way out that people can easily access sensitive issues.

Precisely, those who have funds can easily access the nation’s sensitive information at the expense of those who have no ready funds. Obviously, this shows discrimination in terms of socio-economic status. This act if not handled carefully can lead to a massive revolution that will demand for equality in service delivery to the public.

The ISS upholds privacy of data. However, the act of monitoring people as they access information in the internet shows that privacy is at the same time not upheld. This is a great contrary to the ISS that AFRC has put forward in a ‘blanket’ manner.

The idea of tracking for the purpose of collecting statistical data is revoking the same provisions of information security as it results to tracking (The Presence of Commercial/External Links, n.d.). From this point of view, information in the World Wide Web seems to expose a person’s privacy such as location and computer information like internet protocol address.

Although AFRC has made tremendous steps towards achieving total information protection, it still requires a leveled review that would avoid certain sensitive and contradictory scenarios that have been noticed above.

References

Air Force Reserve Command. (n.d.). United States Military Information. Web.

Freedom of Information Act. (n.d.). Air Force Reserve Command. Web.

The Presence of Commercial/External Links. (n.d.). Air Force Reserve Command. Web.

Introduction

Lean logistic owes its roots from the JIT philosophy formulated by Toyota Company. In United States, lean concept was initially applied in the manufacturing sector but has spread to the other sectors of the economy. This idea is aimed at getting rid of wastes such as inventories and had a series of specific approaches in achieving an organization’s objectives (Maidhar, 2005).

Thus lean objective is geared towards achieving minimum waste and to attain the lowest inventory. Lean concept is controlled by two aspects and that is to constantly reduce waste, and to add value to any production process (Guanyi, 2003).

The centre of lean logistics is a concept of stable improvement, elimination of potential wastes, serving the clients/customers promptly at a low cost and with the highest quality products/services thus enhancing the competitive capacity of an organization (Maidhar, 2005).

Lean logistics strategy tries to minimise inventory at the lowest possible level and only produce what can be consumed. This has helped many organizations to reduce costs associated with holding large inventories, improved their net income and eliminated kinks from their supply chain (Maidhar, 2005).

Lean logistics remains widely accepted among the automobile companies and other manufacturing entities that produce a long repetitive chain. This concept highly demands cooperation among different parties within the supply chain. In the non-manufacturing sector, lean logistical have been used in recruitment of human resources, supply and chain management, financial management, leadership structure among others.

Therefore, an organization or any business entity that applies the concept of lean logistics is swaying toward the realm of lean enterprise (Cohen, 1999).

A lean enterprise is defined as an integrated firm or company that effectively generates value for its numerous stakeholders by applying the principles of lean logistical management and practices. Efficient management of any business entity necessitates identification of the business dependencies and relations. Employees within a lean enterprise works together, recognize their place in the enterprise and are guided by the lean culture. Lean enterprise adapts lean principles in all the operations besides manufacturing process (Maidhar, 2005).

Transforming an entity into a lean enterprise entails employment of lean concepts, instrument s, and methods when formulating the organization’s goal and objectives (Cohen, 1999).

This on the other hand tries to consolidate the whole entity and its employees together when developing the core mission and vision of the organization. Transforming an entity into a lean enterprise minimises the excessive and burdening influence of the managerial and functional storage capacity, if any, with more focus on networking and consolidation of an enterprise (Guanyi, 2003).

Most government organizations ‘objective is service delivery and not profit making thus have limited measures associated with value addition/production. This increases the chance of more resistance by these organizations towards adopting lean principles. Therefore some of the government policies have affected the adoption and absorption of the lean principles among the government offices.

According to some studies within the US Air Force, there is always lack of consensus among the leaders and the general staff and as a result no clear standards on wastes and value have been achieved. In most cases, the US military command employs the top down approach to its policy and daily operations. Instructions for the junior members are received from above (Cohen, 1999).

Over the years, the Air Force have used wider logistical systems that are based on management practices and concepts that have been used again and again and are have become outdated (Guanyi,2003). Air Force logistical system is usually referred to as logistical pipeline and plays a major role in providing materials required at different bases.

These activities include buying, warehousing, supplying and maintenance services, which demands huge amount of investments to be sustained. This explains the reason behind lean logistics introduction in the Air Force (Cohen, 1999).

US Air Force Logistics

US Air Force department was established just immediately after the Second World War and was separated from the US Army in 1947 following the national security Act .Air Force responsibility has always been revised from time to time but its core value and mission of protecting the US air space has always remained the same. Air force is separated into four categories and sub categories (Christopherson &Stanke, 2005).

Air force material command (AFMC) is one of the major divisions within the Air Force chain of command. Roles of the AFMC are material support, information technological systems, managing supplies, maintenance, scientific and technological work, testing and evaluation, managing information, and installations (Cohen, 1999).

Air force material command is subdivided into five categories namely: The product centre, Research laboratory, Testing centres, Air Logistics and major specialized centres. US Air Force Air Logistics (ALCs) is an autonomous enterprise but form part of the wider US Air force chain. These enterprise works with other enterprises from the Air Force Chain of command, to the Pentagon, to the entire defence department and also the Congress and the US President who is the top in the chain of command (Cohen, 1999).

US air Logistics centres deals with maintenance, repair, and overhauling of the Air Force facilities. Air Force uses these centres for planned or scheduled maintenance and unplanned maintenance. Besides maintenance, these centres also accommodate system program offices which are entitled with the responsibility of supply chain management (Christopherson &Stanke, 2005)…

Currently, the US Air Force has air logistic centres in OKLAHOMA, Ogden and Warner Robins. These bases were realigned in the 2005 to give it the traditional Air Force look. These centres are divided into wings namely maintenance section, Aircraft sections, combat sections and Air Base support.

The US department of defence uses base realignment and closure system to reallocate workload and financing among the military bases both within and without the country. The main aim of using the above realignment process is to minimise expenses, dispose old technology and invest in the current technology, thus equips the military effectively to respond to the ever changing war tactics (Cohen, 1999).

Application of Lean logistics in the US Air Force

The US Air Force Logistic centres have struggled very much to achieve the status of a lean enterprise. The centres are still working on establishing a comprehensive program for designing and collecting of enterprise level metrics.

On the other hand, the US Air Force has made a great stride towards achieving the lean enterprise status. One of the achievements made is the transformation of the leadership into a unit that shares common cause or shared mental model. This has helped in passing clear messages and giving direction to the juniors (Christopherson &Stanke, 2005).

Leadership transformation has witnessed more commitment and engagement among the top level department of defence especially the Defence Logistic Agency (DLA). The support of the defence logistic agency is very important in establishing the local supply centres and an integrated program to meet the Air Force Logistical demands (Maidhar, 2005).

US Air Force in general has also redeployed some of workforce to other defence departments and reduced its workforce to do away with some unnecessary positions especially that that add no value to the Air force operations. This has also placed a long term goal for success in Air Force operations. The above strategy puts national service a top priority and minimises tax burden to the citizens (Cohen, 1999).

Just like other commercial airlines, US Air Force operates a fleet of air craft ranging from the military choppers to a very sophisticated war planes. Time is a very crucial factor when responding to the aircraft logistical and inventory needs. US Air force uses has made improvements in reducing pipeline times and complexity in relation to logistical matters, thus have enhanced responsiveness and minimised costs (Christopherson &Stanke, 2005)..

With regard to the increasing budgetary reduction, the dynamic global security threats, and the need to enhance its logistical systems, the US air force though its logistical centres have started a number of programs geared towards realigning its logistics operations. These programs include base realignment and closure systems which are aimed at reducing cost, minimise workloads and invest in modern technologies (Christopherson &Stanke, 2005)..

Air Force is streamlining its corporate cultures within the top level leadership and upgrading its data systems. The main targets are the supply flows to the Air Force warehouses and internal distribution. They are also outsourcing some of the logistical services to private companies which are more effective in logistical matters. DLA is reducing the number of suppliers and improving their relationship with the remaining suppliers (Cohen, 1999).

Conclusion

The US Air force realignment efforts tackles intrinsic challenges with its logistics system. A number of efforts have been put in place to optimize the probable developments. Through the lean logistical measures, the US Air Force is starting to embrace practices that are synonymous with the private sectors such as disposing excessive inventories, prompt repairs to the damaged parts and quick transportation of logistics to the appropriate destinations.

In addition, the US Air Force has also embraced other practices common with lean enterprises such as mobilising the top leadership in supporting the Air Force initiatives, private partnerships in logistical services, maintain good relationship with the stakeholders, persuading their suppliers to use the nearest distribution centres, integrating repair and maintenance operations, and adjusting their facilities to accommodate lean practices.

However, there certain barriers that have stood in the way of Air Force in attaining lean enterprise status. The fist one is the top level leadership cultures that have been conservatively resistant to change and new concepts of operations.

Secondly, Air Force has always bestowed upon the DLA the logistical roles and this must be limited to achieve lean logistical status. The last but not the least is the use of outdated inventory systems. The DLA must work hand in hand with the rest of the Air Force units to find the best solution for the above problems.

References

Christopherson, T., & Stanke, A. (2005). Lean Enterprise Transformation: Ogden ALC Case Study, LAI Plenary Conference. California: Dana Point Inc.

Cohen, J.L. (1999). United States Air Force Logistics Centres: Lean enterprise transformation and associated capabilities. Massachusetts: Massachusetts Institute of Technology Inc.

Guanyi, W. (2003). A review of Toyota production philosophy. Enterprise Management (Chinese), Vol: (6) pp. 82-85

Maidhar, V. (2005). Designing lean enterprise performance measurement system in an organization, Paper presented at the LAI Plenary conference in Dana Point. California: Siege publishers