Air Force Major Commands Determine Their Mix of Live and Virtual Training Based on Various Factors

Currently, the three lead Air Force major commands—Air Mobility  Command, Air Force Special Operations Command, and Air Combat  Command—have similar processes to determine the mix of live and  virtual training, but the mix of training differs across the major commands,  and among aircraft within the commands. At each command, training-requirement review boards composed  of subject-matter experts meet to consider broad sets of training issues  and evaluate training requirements for specific aircraft. The boards  consider factors such as specific combatant command mission  requirements and the capabilities of simulators and networks that have  already been fielded, and determine which training requirements can be  completed in a virtual environment and which need to be completed in a  live environment. The Air Force Has Not Established an Overarching Organizational Framework to Guide, Oversee, and Integrate Virtual Training Efforts

The Air Force has recently taken steps to increase management attention  over its virtual training efforts, but its approach to virtual training currently  lacks (1) a designated organization with accountability and authority for  achieving results and (2) an overarching strategy—key elements of an  organizational framework that we have found to be critical for successful  transformations in both public and private organizations. In the absence of an organization to guide virtual training efforts, the lead  major commands have developed their own standards and acquired and  fielded systems that are not interoperable and often require costly, time- consuming work-arounds to be able to train together in large, complex  virtual training exercises. Our prior work has found that strategic planning is a key element of an  overarching organizational framework. In the absence of a strategy,  the Air Force cannot be certain that its individual initiatives are  synchronized and will address its highest priority needs. Air Force Lacks Cost Data for Virtual Training and Did Not Account for Virtual Training Costs When Determining Savings from Its Flying-Hour Efficiency Initiative

In outlining its efficiency initiative related to training, the Air Force  estimated potential cost savings of $268 million for fiscal year 2012, and a  total of $1.7 billion for fiscal years 2012 to 2016 by among other things,  reducing legacy combat Air Force flying hours across the board by 5  percent. Additionally, federal internal control standards state  that decision makers need visibility over a program’s financial data to  determine whether the program is meeting the agencies’ goals and  effectively using resources. The Air Force did not consider any potential costs associated with the  increase in virtual training in its estimate of cost savings because it has  not developed a methodology to collect and track information on the cost  of its virtual training program. These costs could include expenses for aircrew to travel to simulator  locations, additional contractor personnel to schedule and operate  simulators, and the purchase of additional simulators to meet increased  demand. Without a means to collect or calculate its virtual training  costs, the Air Force lacks the information it needs to make informed  investment decisions in the future regarding the mix of live and virtual  training. Among other things,  the Air Force has implemented various initiatives and established  organizations intended to enhance its virtual training capabilities. Recommendations for Executive Action

To develop a fully integrated management approach to guide virtual  training efforts and investments, we recommend the Secretary of Defense  direct the Secretary of the Air Force to designate an entity that is responsible and accountable for integrating  all of the Air Force’s virtual training efforts, including the development  and enforcement of interoperability standards across virtual training  systems, and investment planning; and develop an overarching strategy to align goals and funding for virtual  training efforts across all Air Force major commands. To improve decision makers’ visibility over the costs related to virtual  training, we recommend that the Secretary of Defense direct the  Secretary of the Air Force to develop a methodology for collecting and  tracking cost data for virtual training and use this cost data to help inform  future decisions regarding the mix of live and virtual training. In response to our recommendation to  designate an entity that is responsible and accountable for integrating all  of the Air Force’s virtual training efforts, including the development and  enforcement of interoperability standards across virtual training systems,  and investment planning, DOD stated that the Air Force has taken initial  steps to designate its Headquarters, Air Force office, AF/A3/5  (Operations, Plans, and Requirements) as the single entity responsible  for integrating the Air Force’s virtual training efforts. To determine the extent to which the Air Force considered costs related  to virtual training in estimating potential savings from its training efficiency  initiative, we obtained and analyzed the Air Force efficiency calculation  and compared it with cost saving estimating best practices.
Why GAO Did This Study

Over the last 20 years, the Air Force has sought ways to expand its approaches to meeting aircrew training requirements, including the increased use of virtual training. In 2012, the Air Force reduced live flying hours, which it estimates will save $1.7 billion in fiscal years 2012 through 2016, as part of its response to the Secretary of Defenses efficiency initiatives. GAO conducted this study in response to House Report 112-78, accompanying a bill for the Fiscal Year 2012 National Defense Authorization Act, which directed GAO to review the status of the military services virtual training programs. Specifically, GAO assessed (1) how the Air Force determines the mix of live and virtual training to meet training requirements; (2) the extent to which the Air Force has an overarching organizational framework to guide, oversee, and integrate its virtual training efforts; and (3) the extent to which the Air Force considered costs related to virtual training in estimating potential savings from its training efficiency initiative. To do so, GAO analyzed guidance and other documents, visited virtual training facilities, and interviewed officials from the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Joint Staff, and the Air Force.

What GAO Found

The three lead Air Force major commandsAir Mobility Command, Air Force Special Operations Command, and Air Combat Commandall utilize training requirements review boards composed of subject-matter experts to determine training requirements for specific aircraft. These boards determine which training requirements can be completed in live or virtual environments based upon factors such as specific combatant command mission requirements and the capabilities of fielded simulators and networks. All three commands use a combination of live and virtual approaches, but the mix varies by aircraft. For example, Air Combat Command specifies that approximately 25 percent of its training requirements could be met virtually. The other two commands conduct approximately 50 percent of their training virtually.
The Air Force has taken steps to manage its virtual training efforts, but its approach lacks some key elements of an overarching organizational framework needed to fully integrate efforts and address challenges. It has reorganized offices and undertaken various initiatives intended to enhance existing virtual training capabilities, but has not designated an entity to integrate these efforts or developed an overarching strategy to define goals, align efforts, and establish investment priorities. As a result, major commands have developed their own investment plans and standards for acquiring and fielding virtual training systems, which are often not interoperable and require costly, time-consuming work-arounds to allow personnel to train together and with joint and coalition partners. GAOs prior work has found that a designated entity with the necessary authority and resources and an overarching strategy are critical elements of managing organizational transformations and meeting long-term goals and agency missions. In the absence of an approach that establishes clear accountability and a strategy to guide its planning and investment decisions, the Air Force will continue to be challenged to guide the efforts of its commands in planning for and investing in virtual training, ensure these efforts meet the highest priority needs and are synchronized to avoid gaps or future interoperability issues, and maximize available resources.
The Air Force estimated it could save about $1.7 billion in its training program by reducing live flying hours and taking other steps, such as increasing the use of virtual training, but it lacks a methodology for determining the costs of virtual training and therefore did not consider these costs in its estimate. The Air Force estimated savings based solely on reductions in live flying hours without considering expenses such as those incurred for aircrew to travel to simulators, contractor personnel to schedule and operate simulators, and purchase of additional simulators. GAO has found that decision makers need visibility over financial data to meet agency goals and effectively use resources. Identifying virtual training costs is challenging because data is spread across multiple program elements in the Air Forces accounting structure. The Air Force completed an initial study in September 2011 that identified some costs related to virtual training, but it concluded these data might not be complete. In the absence of taking further steps to determine the universe of costs and a means to collect and track data, the Air Force will be limited in its ability to make fully informed investment decisions about the mix of live and virtual training in the future.

What GAO Recommends

GAO recommends that the Air Force designate an entity to integrate its virtual training efforts, develop a strategy to align virtual training initiatives and goals, and develop a methodology to collect virtual training cost data. DOD concurred with GAOs recommendations and identified planned actions.