Charter Flight

The Defense Department has approved a charter for a panel that will examine the structure of the Air Force and report its findings to Congress by February 2014.

The charter, dated April 11, shows that in considering the structure of the Air Force, the panel should give particular consideration to evaluating a structure that meets current and anticipated requirements of the combatant commands as well as "maximizes and appropriately balances affordability, efficiency, effectiveness, capability and readiness." Per DOD, the panel should also achieve an appropriate balance between the active and reserve components of the Air Force, taking advantage of the unique strengths and capabilities of each and ensuring that the service has the capacity needed “to support current and anticipated homeland defense and disaster assistance missions in the United States,” according to the document, obtained by InsideDefense.com.

The charter also shows that DOD wants to see the panel take into consideration that there is a need for sufficient numbers of trained personnel "from which the personnel of the reserve components of the Air Force could be recruited." Also, it would be preferable if the panel maintain "a peacetime rotation force to support operational tempo goals of 1:2" for the active-duty Air Force and "1:5 for members of the reserve components of the Air Force," the charter states.

Panel members are expected to deliver their report to lawmakers by Feb. 1, 2014. Those members will serve on what is known as the "National Commission on the Structure of the Air Force" -- a panel that was established in the Fiscal Year 2013 Defense Authorization Act.

The names of those members were announced this month.

The panel consists of Lt. Gen. Bud Wyatt, a former Air National Guard Director; Whit Peters, a former Air Force secretary; Erin Conaton, a former Air Force under secretary; Les Brownlee, a former Army under secretary; and retired Gen. Raymond Johns, Air Mobility Command's former commander who left the service a few months ago. Additionally, Janine Davidson, a former deputy assistant secretary of defense for plans; retired Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Dennis McCarthy, a former assistant secretary of defense for reserve affairs; and Margaret Harrell, the director of the RAND Corporation's Army health program have been nominated as panel members.

Despite a DOD-wide freeze on traveling expenses in light of recent budget cuts, panel members shall be allowed travel expenses including per diem while on out-of-town business, according to the charter.