Report of a Workshop on Expanding U.S. Air Force Noncombat Mission Capabilities/Mr-246-Af

This report describes a workshop held in June 1992 on expanding U.S. Air Force noncombat mission capabilities. The major result of the workshop was the unexpected highlighting of a division among the participants about whether noncombat missions should become an integral part of Air Force capabilities and whether they would seriously degrade U.S. combat capabilities. Related issues were whether Air Force noncombat activities could be carried out by nonmilitary organizations and whether efforts to enhance Air Force noncombat support capabilities may be regarded as only a means of obtaining a larger share of the military budget. The participants did, however, identify some noncombat capabilities likely to be adequate infrastructure in remote areas; improved command, control, communications, and intelligence capabilities in remote areas and for coordinating with local authorities; and psychological and civil affairs capabilities where a knowledge of indigenous culture as well as language is important.