A U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor assigned to the 27th Fighter Squadron arrives at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam in support of Valiant Shield 24, June 7, 2024. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Brian Long)
WASHINGTON — US Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) is reevaluating its upcoming exercise schedule to help preserve “readiness” in the face of increased commitments around the globe, including the Middle East, according to the four-star general overseeing the region.
“We’re looking at … how we manage [readiness] against … all the other things that are going on around the world,” PACAF Commander Gen. Kevin Schneider said Monday during a Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies event.
“I think we’ve done a pretty good job of identifying, amongst commanders, where we’re going to take risk or how we manage the risks as we prioritize … [efforts] in the CENTCOM [Central Command] region right now, and what are those things that you know we are able to absorb as commanders elsewhere in the Air Force enterprise,” he added.
Part of the intersection between risk management and readiness now includes taking a “hard look” at the sheer number of regional exercises airmen participate in, said Schneider. On average, the four-star general said he is issuing task orders for roughly 45 exercises inside PACAF each year. Those exercises include ones like Valiant Shield with participants like Australia, Canada, Japan and New Zealand, to Rim of the Pacific with dozens of nations.
