The U.S. Air Force’s shifting focus to the needs of agile combat employment prompted an examination of how the Air Force approaches training for combat sortie generation (CSG) proficiency.

For this report, the authors conducted an analysis of CSG proficiency as a step toward defining a comprehensive CSG training program. They provide an overview of threat demands, proficiency goals, existing gaps, and training needs related to CSG.

Achieving Combat Sortie Generation Proficiency in the Air Force

An Examination of Goals, Gaps, Barriers, and Solutions

Emmi Yonekura, Alvin Moon, Vikram Kilambi, Andrea M. Abler, Mark Toukan, Colby P. Steiner, John G. Drew, Sophia Bokaie, Logan Elizabeth Robinson, Joseph Erwin, et al.

ResearchPublished Mar 25, 2026

Cover: Achieving Combat Sortie Generation Proficiency in the Air Force
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Includes Research Summary

Sortie generation is the process in which the U.S. Air Force (USAF) recovers, refuels, rearms, inspects, and launches aircraft, and it is a capability that is essential to producing combat airpower. The USAF’s shifting focus to dynamic, high-end threats and the needs of agile combat employment (ACE) prompted an examination of how the USAF’s Air Combat Command (ACC) Directorate of Logistics, Engineering and Force Protection (A4) approaches training for combat sortie generation (CSG) proficiency.

Specifically, there is a need to understand (1) the new, combat-relevant sortie generation (SG) competencies that are required for a high-end fight; (2) how to best train personnel on those new competencies; and (3) what barriers stand in the way of achieving CSG proficiency.

For this report, the authors conducted an analysis of CSG proficiency as a step toward defining a comprehensive CSG training program. They provide an overview of threat demands, proficiency goals, existing gaps, and training needs related to CSG. They also explore the barriers to CSG proficiency and some of the related best practices and pockets of excellence. This report outlines a new training program for CSG proficiency that leverages limited data, expert judgment, and documented understandings of training responses from studies of similar communities. The report also includes a discussion of implementation considerations for achieving proficiency.

Key Findings

  • ACE requirements, particularly those motivated by missile attacks with limited warning, drive the need for combat-relevant SG proficiency.
  • Key guidance documents lack standardized methods for defining or deriving CSG proficiency goals, which instead rely on USAF experts’ judgments.
  • Existing training requirements and standards for SG proficiency lack consistent definitions and applications across home-station locations.
  • USAF units have innovated and experimented with ACE-driven training events, but practice and execution are inconsistent across wings.
  • Many of the existing USAF metrics for SG neither directly measure CSG proficiency nor are adequately reported using standardized data systems.
  • There is tension between training for primary specialties and cross-training or multiple mission design series (multi-MDS) requirements; it is difficult to prioritize cross-training and multi-MDS training among other demands at the major command (MAJCOM) and wing levels given limited time and resources.
  • Resource and personnel constraints—including constraints related to aircraft, flight-hours, munitions, experienced personnel, and instructor availability—are barriers to SG training generally and affect training responses specifically. Implementing expanded training requirements will incur additional resource costs.
  • Training effectiveness depends on course design, frequency, infrastructure, and instructor expertise. Virtual platforms aid skill development but cannot replace hands-on experience. Skill decay is greatest in complex or infrequently practiced tasks, especially for cross-trained individuals. Studies show that intact teams and rotational cross-training improve performance and coordination under stress.
  • A barrier to implementing CSG training is the perceived conflict between the need for aircraft and maintainer time and the flying hour program (FHP).

Recommendations

  • ACC/A4 should establish a rigorous, standardized CSG proficiency training program that clearly defines proficiency and codifies new training requirements in authoritative guidance.
  • The USAF should codify and regularly update ACE-relevant proficiency requirements, including event types, conditions, minimum training frequencies, venues, and reporting.
  • The USAF should support the centralization or coordination of investments for new training technologies, including virtual or augmented reality training resources.
  • The USAF should implement standardized, enterprise-wide data collection and reporting of qualification and proficiency statuses across all wings and require regular review of these metrics.
  • ACC/A4 should collaborate with personnel managers to (1) rebalance skill levels and assignment tenures across wings to support training needs, (2) leverage mobile training teams and consolidated training events, and (3) provide targeted incentives to retain experienced airmen in key roles.
  • ACC should work across the USAF leadership structure to foster a “one-team” culture across operations, maintenance, logistics, and mission support and ensure that training requirements are integrated with the FHP.
  • ACC should assess and address barriers to achieving proficiency with mechanisms for the continuous assessment, adaptation, and coordination with component MAJCOMs and other Department of the Air Force stakeholders for theater-specific tailoring.
  • ACC/A4 should encourage wings to discover best practices and standards while regularly consolidating findings across wings.
  • ACC/A4 should annually revisit and update training requirements and program design using new data, operational feedback, and evolving threat demands.

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Yonekura, Emmi, Alvin Moon, Vikram Kilambi, Andrea M. Abler, Mark Toukan, Colby P. Steiner, John G. Drew, Sophia Bokaie, Logan Elizabeth Robinson, Joseph Erwin, and John Gantner, Achieving Combat Sortie Generation Proficiency in the Air Force: An Examination of Goals, Gaps, Barriers, and Solutions. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2026. https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA3737-1.html.
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This research was sponsored by the USAF Air Combat Command (ACC), Logistics, Engineering and Force Protection Directorate and conducted within the Workforce, Development, and Health Program of RAND Project AIR FORCE.

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