Joe Foss Field, S.D. -- JOE FOSS FIELD, S.D. – The 114th Fighter Wing is adapting to a new Air Force wide deployment model, Air Force force generation, AFFORGEN, in order to adapt to a change in our nation's strategic environment.
AFFORGEN will largely guide the way the unit will plan and conduct training and exercises in preparation for a potential future deployment.
“As our peer adversaries have more advanced operations than adversaries of our past, it is important for our unit to also adapt its operations in a way that is beneficial for our people,” said Lt. Col. Matt Kayser, Logistics Readiness Squadron commander, 114th Fighter Wing.
According to Kayser, the Air Force as a whole is more focussed on our peer adversaries as a threat as opposed to other extremist organizations we had been combatting over the past 20 years using a different deployment model.
Under AFFORGEN, each Air National Guard unit in the nation will be partnered with another ANG unit to prepare, exercise, and deploy as a team.
Under this new model, Airmen deploying have an established working history and familiarization with the teammates they will be deployed alongside. This can be more efficient because they are familiar with how their teammates operate.
“One benefit of this style deployment is that members from the 114th Fighter Wing will be deploying together as a unit so they will be seeing familiar faces and have already established relationships allowing them to be more successful from the beginning,” said Kayser.
AFFORGEN consists of two force element deployment cycles:
The first is the Mission Generation Cycle element that includes an aviation package and all mission generation personnel supporting the aircraft. The second cycle is the Expeditionary Air Base element which includes the fighter wing staff, mission support group, and medical personnel. Both deployments have varying lengths with ample breaks for Airmen in between cycles.
“In the long run, the Air National Guard is hoping AFFORGEN will lessen the overall workload of the unit and reduce the stress of its members,” said Kayser.