Posted Thursday, June 01, 2017
AFIT alum and faculty member, Lt Col Jonathan D. Ritschel, USAF (MS Cost Analysis. 2003, Distinguished Graduate), Assistant Professor of Cost Analysis, is the co-author of the article Improving Resource Management in the Afghan Air Force published in the Summer 2017, Vol 31, No 2 edition of the Air and Space Power Journal.
Abstract:
The nascent Afghan Air Force (AAF) is rapidly changing with new platforms programmed and existing platforms expanding. As US and coalition forces draw down, the transition of financial responsibility from American to Afghan processes is on the horizon. This article analyzes the resource allocation process in Afghanistan and finds that the AAF is currently experiencing accountability, visibility, and transparency problems. Additionally, no mechanism exists to effectively transition aviation unique requirements from coalition to Afghan control under the extant financial construct. The lack of authorities is a significant problem for the AAF as it resides under the Afghanistan National Army. Thus, this research proposes an alternate construct for the AAF. These structural changes can alleviate the resource problems the AAF is experiencing and at the same time reduce the mechanisms in place that enable corruption in the Ministry of Defense (MoD). Changes include the establishment of an aviation budget builder at the MoD and the designation of the AAF as a secondary budget unit.