Ronald G. McGarvey

Senior Operations Researcher; Professor, Pardee RAND Graduate School

Off Site Office

Education

B.S. in applied mathematics, Indiana University of Pennsylvania; M.S. in industrial engineering & operations research, Pennsylvania State University; Ph.D. in industrial engineering & operations research, Pennsylvania State University

One Page Bio

Overview

Ronald G. McGarvey is an adjunct senior operations researcher supporting RAND Project AIR FORCE, with a research focus on defense resource management. He is also a professor at the Pardee RAND Graduate School.

At RAND, McGarvey has participated in Air Force research projects that have evaluated the performance of alternative prepositioning postures, new strategies for aircraft maintenance and spare parts management, options for reducing Joint Strike Fighter operations and sustainment costs, more cost-effective and fuel-efficient utilization of mobility aircraft, and technology impacts on combat support command and control. McGarvey has numerous refereed publications in the fields of operations research and logistics.

Research Focus

Concurrent Non-RAND Positions

Associate Professor, Industrial & Manufacturing Systems Engineering, and Truman School of Public Affairs, University of Missouri

Publications

Report
Fighter Basing Options to Improve Access to Advanced Training Ranges
The authors explore U.S. Air Force squadron restationing and range upgrade options that can maximize access to advanced live training ranges while evaluating cost and risk measures associated with these options.
Feb 5, 2021
Report
Analysis of Global Management of Air Force War Reserve Materiel to Support Operations in Contested and Degraded Environments
In this report, RAND researchers evaluate management approaches and global prepositioning strategies for war reserve materiel, which may help mitigate some of the U.S. military's vulnerabilities when operating in a contested environment.
Jan 14, 2021
Tool
A Modeling Framework for Optimizing U.S. Air Force Fighter Pilot Access to Advanced Training Ranges
This tool presents the technical details of an optimization model for the U.S. Air Force to analyze the potential effectiveness of different combinations of range upgrades and squadron restationing to improve access to advanced ranges.
Sep 24, 2020
Report
Evaluating Alternative Maintenance Manpower Force Structure Concepts for the F-35A
The authors of this report evaluate the costs and benefits of maintenance manpower force structures in the U.S. Air Force that merge maintenance career fields in different ways, including alternatives that are being explored by the Air Force today.
Sep 3, 2020
Report
Enabling Early Sustainment Decisions: Application to F-35 Depot-Level Maintenance
To inform Air Force sustainment sourcing decisionmaking, RAND researchers developed economic-based framework that guides sustainment decisions early in the acquisition cycle by comparing new programs with legacy Air Force systems.
Dec 20, 2013
Report
Commercial Intratheater Airlift: Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Use in U.S. Central Command
Intratheater airlift delivers critical and time-sensitive supplies to deployed forces, but is it cost effective to use commercial, rather than organic Air Force, aircraft to supply this airlift?
Apr 8, 2013
Report
Assessment of Beddown Alternatives for the F-35: Executive Summary
RAND assessed the savings potential of reconfiguring the U.S. Air Force's combat-coded F-35s into larger squadrons and adjusting the Primary Aerospace Vehicle Authorized mix across the Active and Reserve Components.
Apr 3, 2013
Report
Assessment of Beddown Alternatives for the F-35
RAND assessed the savings potential of reconfiguring the U.S. Air Force's combat-coded F-35s into larger squadrons and adjusting the Primary Aerospace Vehicle Authorized mix across the Active and Reserve Components.
Apr 3, 2013
Report
Analysis of the Air Force Logistics Enterprise: Evaluation of Global Repair Network Options for Supporting the C-130
Reallocating C-130 maintenance workloads between mission-generation units and centralized repair facilities offers efficiency and effectiveness benefits to the Air Force, and integrated maintenance concepts may offer additional benefits.
Sep 29, 2011
Report
A Repair Network Concept for Air Force Maintenance: Conclusions from Analysis of C-130, F-16, and KC-135 Fleets
The initial phases of a study of the Air Force logistics enterprise finds that consolidated wing-level scheduled inspections and component back-shop maintenance capabilities would be more effective and efficient than the current system.
Mar 8, 2010
Report
Global Combat Support Basing: Robust Prepositioning Strategies for Air Force War Reserve Materiel
Alternative approaches to storing combat support materiel might provide better support to deploying forces in an expeditionary environment that features frequent force projections, of varying sizes and of unknown durations, to wide-ranging locations.
Jan 14, 2010
Report
Analysis of the Air Force Logistics Enterprise: Evaluation of Global Repair Network Options for Supporting the F-16 and KC-135
Develops an approach for rebalancing aircraft maintenance capabilities between mission generation units and a network of centralized repair facilities, illustrated by an application to the F-16 and KC-135 weapon systems.
Oct 30, 2009
Report
Supporting Air and Space Expeditionary Forces: Analysis of CONUS Centralized Intermediate Repair Facilities
Evaluates CONUS use of Centralized Intermediate Repair Facilities for off-equipment repair of aircraft components and presents analytic network design method developed for the identification of cost-efficient alternatives for such networks.
Nov 23, 2008
Report
Sense and Respond Logistics: Integrating Prediction, Responsiveness, and Control Capabilities
This monograph identifies the elements of sense and respond combat support and shows what is necessary to use the concept within the Air Force.
Nov 22, 2006
Research Brief
"Sense and Respond" Capabilities Can Make the Air Force Combat Support System More Agile
This research brief summarizes a promising approach -- sense and respond combat support -- to distributing materiel to fielded forces as they need them and to adapting quickly to changing operational needs.
Nov 16, 2006
Research Brief
Positioning War Reserve Materiel Requires a Flexible, Global Approach
This research brief summarizes strategies for positioning war reserve materiel so that it can support a variety of future combat operations at minimal cost and maximum speed.
Aug 31, 2006
Report
Strategic Analysis of Air National Guard Combat Support and Reachback Functions
Evaluates options for Air National Guard combat support and reachback missions in four Air Force mission areas to support the Air and Space Expeditionary Force and Future Total Force capabilities.
Aug 18, 2006
Research Brief
Transforming Combat Support in the Air National Guard Would Support Air Force Deployment and Sustainment Goals
This research brief summarizes an evaluation of four options for transforming Air National Guard combat support mission areas to enhance support to the Air and Space Expeditionary Force.
Aug 16, 2006
Report
Evaluation of Options for Overseas Combat Support Basing
Presents an analytic framework and model for evaluating options for overseas combat support basing.
Aug 8, 2006
Research Brief
New Analytic Tools Evaluate Overseas Combat Support Basing Options for the U.S. Air Force
RAND Project AIR FORCE (PAF) developed a set of analytic tools that can be used to evaluate various storage options to meet a given set of operational scenarios.
Nov 25, 2005
Report
Supporting Air and Space Expeditionary Forces: Analysis of Combat Support Basing Options
Evaluates global forward support locations (FSLs) for storing war reserve materiel and presents a framework for evaluating FSL options.
2004