Airpower 101: an expeditionary air base model

Air & Space Power Journal, Fall, 2004 by John Dobbins

Now that the nine elements of the three components of airpower had their generic value chains started, we took particular care of the "people" component of the model--the foundation of airpower--which includes Airmen and the supporting civilians and contractors. Each aspect of the people component had its own value chain. For example, although air is usually abundantly available, I incorporated "air" into the chemical-warfare value chain of the BSP along with the possible requirement to make clean air. The bottled drinking water we used at Al Jaber AB already had a value-chain process and just needed to be expanded to account for our increase in population. Food also needed to be increased. The upload step of that value chain required some creativity to feed (upload) 7,000 people at one meal. Another expansion plan adjusted Al Jaber AB's shelter to accommodate a larger population. The Marines built their own tent city, and the Air Force stuffed more bodies into the available space. Hygiene planning created the nonpotable (used in toilets and showers) water and trash-collection value chains along with the expeditionary medical support (EMEDS) that included the preventive medicine and acute care necessary for Airmen's health. The rest and recreation value chains considered all established MWR activities, selecting and sizing the appropriate activities and services.

Although the 332d AEW wrote its BSP to match the format contained in AFI 10-404, I judged each aspect of the plan by my model and sent those chapters back to the authors if their plans did not meet the logic and parameters outlined above. The model gave me a quick template to judge the plan and make sure all of its parts were seamlessly dovetailed into a workable plan. While no plan ever survives contact with the enemy, the planning that was accomplished to create that BSP gave us a solid foundation to work with. As the number-two Air Force guy at Al Jaber AB, I used the model to adjust priorities during the base's buildup phase for OIF. It was a more logically coherent construct from which to operate and was more capable of predicting outcomes than if we had worked only under AFI 10-404. I depended on the model, not the AFI 10-404 product, during the buildup and early fight.

Tallil Air Base--Using the Model at a Bare Base

In late March 2003, tankers were in short supply. The apparent onset of stiffening Iraqi resistance and the looming battle for Baghdad made Tallil AB in southern Iraq look like an excellent choice for establishing an A-10 forward operating location (FOL) and a ground-forces logistics center. I deployed via an HH-60 helicopter to Tallil AB at the end March to assume duties as the Air Force group commander, with an imperative to establish A-10 operations. Col A. Ray Myer, USA, beat me there by a few days. He was the Global Airfield Assessment Team (GAAT) chief and had arrived with the Army support forces, following the lead elements of the Army 3d Infantry Division. By the time I arrived, Colonel Myer and his team (which included a combat control team) had completed their airfield survey; opened a runway for night, blackout, engine-running offload (ERO) operations; and were working other airfield issues. A convoy from the 332d AEW at Al Jaber AB arrived during this time frame. It consisted of fuel and fire trucks, a security detail, a very limited aircraft squadron of British engineers with their heavy equipment, and a squadron of security forces from the 820th Special Forces (SF) group with a group command support element. Prior to my arrival, the 332d AEW established a CSAR detachment of HH-60s to operate out of Tallil AB, air-refueling them just prior to landing. US Central Command Air Forces (CENTAF) had forward-deployed communications and logistical representatives to be a direct link with headquarters experts and resource owners to expedite getting the right materials with the right priority moving our way to make Tallil operational sooner.