Supporting Expeditionary Aerospace Forces

In recent years, the United States Air Force has found it necessary to perform a number of overseas deployments, many on short notice, in support of a wide range of crises. Toward this goal, the Air Force has begun to reorganize itself into an Expeditionary Aerospace Force that can quickly deploy from the continental United States to appropriate forward operating locations worldwide. This report evaluates the manner in which Jet Engine Intermediate Maintenance (JEIM) shops can best be configured to facilitate such deployments. The authors examine a number of JEIM support options, which are distinguished primarily by the degree to which JEIM support is centralized or decentralized. They then assess the performance of each option for three jet engines: the F100-220, the F100-229, and the TF-34. The report concludes that for the F100-220 and F100-229, the most viable options involve establishing a single JEIM in theater during war. For the TF-34, it is recommended either that the above option be exercised or that a single, centralized JEIM be established in the continental United States.