Workforce, Development, and Health Program

Building the Knowledge and Skills the U.S. Air Force Needs for Strategic Competition with China: Sharpening the Sword and Burnishing the Shield

Apr 14, 2026

The authors assess how the U.S. Air Force develops and utilizes China-relevant expertise and identify systemic gaps that limit the service’s ability to build, sustain, and use the capabilities needed for long-term strategic competition with China.

Miriam Matthews, Cristina L. Garafola, Sean Robson, Benjamin J. Sacks, Rebecca Wusinich, Angela K. Clague, Devon Hill, Catherine Kish, Yoony Lee

RAND Research on Workforce and Force Development Innovation: Supporting the U.S. Space Force Transformation Toward the Objective Force

Apr 10, 2026

This document offers a roadmap of how RAND Project AIR FORCE’s Workforce, Development, and Health program can continue to support the U.S. Space Force in its transformation to a warfighting force purpose-built to contest and control space.

Air Force Assignment Durations: Modeling Policy Changes and Their Effects on Cost, Readiness, and Retention

Mar 31, 2026

Permanent change of station moves drive significant U.S. Air Force costs and create disruption for individuals and units. RAND researchers modeled and analyzed policy options to extend assignment durations and optimize cost, readiness, and retention.

Kelly Atkinson, Lisa M. Harrington, Anna White Hewitt, R. Gordon Rinderknecht, Albert A. Robbert, Kelly Piazza, James Fan, Anthony Lawrence, Jessica Lu, Nathan Thompson, Sankalp Kumar, Anton Wu

A Selection of Implementable Actions to Establish an Air Force Workforce Analytics Center of Excellence

Mar 31, 2026

The authors supported the efforts of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Manpower, Personnel, and Resources (AF/A1) to strengthen the workforce analytics enterprise’s contributions into Headquarters Air Force decisionmaking processes.

Patrick White, Kimberly Curry Hall, Nelson Lim, James Fan, Matthew Jobe, Caroline Margaret Johnston, Sarah Nicole Kosic, Baileigh McFall, Garret Moore, Robert Ulrich Nagel, Jennifer Nevius, Robert Romer, K. MacKenzie Scott, Matt Strawn, Tara L. Terry, Stephanie Williamson