The "In Lieu Of" Myth - Airmen in Joint Ground Operations

Lt Col Dave Marttala discusses the Air Force deployment of large numbers of Airmen to perform various combat support functions doctrinally assigned to the Army or Marine Corps. Known as “In Lieu Of” (ILO) deployment (since then the term has changed to “Joint Expeditionary Tasking” [JET]), this program has evolved from a temporary assistance measure to a de facto permanent reallocation of service roles and missions. This study gives attention to the serious, central problem of the long-term negative effects of this program on the comprehensive military capacity to fight modern wars. Using Air Force security forces as a case study, he demonstrates that ILO solutions actually do more harm than good, creating an illusion of adaptation that obscures the nature and scope of the problem, thereby jeopardizing future war-fighting capability among our collective military forces. He concludes by offering practical recommendations to rebalance requirements and resources for modern warfare. United States Air Force Walker Paper.