Rethinking How the Air Force Views Sustainment Surge

This book analyzes the interpretation, transformation, and future of the U.S. Air Force’s ongoing surge requirements. Sustainment surge describes the increase in weapon systems repair activity brought on by the operational demands of wartime or contingency operations. In light of the U.S. military’s transformations in force planning over the past 25 years, the authors of this report look at how the nature of surge has changed, whether legislation has hindered management in developing effective and efficient ways to manage surge, and whether the effectiveness and efficiency of surge planning can be improved.