Air Expeditionary Forces: Providing Operational Alternatives.

Due to the post-Cold War draw down, the U.S. military has withdrawn from many of its overseas bases and the regional CINCs will now have to rely on CONUS based forces earlier and to a greater extent than in the past.The U.S. Air Force developed the Air Expeditionary Force (AEF) concept to provide alternative ways of matching needs with capabilities.Possible AEF employment scenarios include humanitarian relief operations, substitute for a similar capability, rapid crisis response, and air operational reserve.Issues affecting the employment of air expeditionary forces exist and should be addressed during the deliberate planning process.Specifically, generic