What Helps and What Hurts
How Ten Activities Affect Readiness and Quality of Life at Three 8AF Wings
ResearchPublished 1997
In 1996, the Air Force asked for RAND's direct assistance in examining the workloads in the Eighth Air Force (8AF). RAND analysts developed and applied a survey to examine how peacetime operations, exercises, inspections, and a range of other activities affect diverse elements within an Air Force wing, concentrating on the high pace of operations that leads to stress and its unwelcome consequences. Face-to-face surveys collected data from nearly 500 commanders and supervisors from three wings, from all mission areas (operations, logistics, support, medical, and wing staff), and from all organizational levels (wing, group, squadron, and flight/section). Their responses represent some 15,000 Air Force military and civilian personnel. Results show that more than 70 percent surveyed said that inspections and wing exercises negatively affect readiness and consume inordinate amounts of time. The Air Force is already addressing some of the problems discussed in the briefing and is considering limiting compliance inspections to critical areas only and reducing the time spent on them.
Document Details
- Copyright: RAND Corporation
- Availability: Available
- Year: 1997
- Print Format: Paperback
- Paperback Pages: 119
- Paperback Price: $35.00
- Paperback ISBN/EAN: 978-0-8330-2544-9
- Document Number: DB-223-AF
Citation
RAND Style Manual
Chicago Manual of Style
Fossen, Thomas, Lawrence M. Hanser, John Stillion, Marc N. Elliott, and Craig Moore, What Helps and What Hurts: How Ten Activities Affect Readiness and Quality of Life at Three 8AF Wings, RAND Corporation, DB-223-AF, 1997. As of September 5, 2024: https://www.rand.org/pubs/documented_briefings/DB223.html
Fossen, Thomas, Lawrence M. Hanser, John Stillion, Marc N. Elliott, and Craig Moore, What Helps and What Hurts: How Ten Activities Affect Readiness and Quality of Life at Three 8AF Wings. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 1997. https://www.rand.org/pubs/documented_briefings/DB223.html. Also available in print form.
Research conducted by
This publication is part of the RAND documented briefing series. Documented briefings are based on research presented to a client, sponsor, or targeted audience in briefing format. Additional information is provided in the documented briefing in the form of the written narration accompanying the briefing charts.
This document and trademark(s) contained herein are protected by law. This representation of RAND intellectual property is provided for noncommercial use only. Unauthorized posting of this publication online is prohibited; linking directly to this product page is encouraged. Permission is required from RAND to reproduce, or reuse in another form, any of its research documents for commercial purposes. For information on reprint and reuse permissions, please visit www.rand.org/pubs/permissions.
RAND is a nonprofit institution that helps improve policy and decisionmaking through research and analysis. RAND's publications do not necessarily reflect the opinions of its research clients and sponsors.