ARLINGTON, Va. (AFNS) —  

Air Force senior leadersconducted one of their first stops of a recently launched roadshow at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, Jan. 24, to prepare Airmen as the service transitions into Combat Wings, Air Base Wings and Institutional Wings as part of the ongoing U.S. Air Force reoptimization. 

This structural change increases the ability for commanders to focus on their mission and enables the creation of an Air Force “Unit of Action” capable of deploying as a cohesively trained and highly effective team of warrior Airmen. 

Senior leaders will visit approximately 20 bases and their corresponding wings over the next few months to communicate the wing reorganization plan, to include the implementation of the wing A-Staff and dissolution of most group command echelons. 

They will also explain the long-term effects of the new force presentation model to Airmen and their units, both in garrison and deployed. 

Implementation is expected to begin in the summer of 2025 to include the stand-up of new Air Base Wings at designated installations. 

Following the transition, Air Force installations will be comprised of a Combat Wing and/or an Institutional Wing and an Air Base Wing. 

Combat Wings will focus on training and certification for mission level warfighting skills and being ready to deploy or execute in-place in support of combatant command requirements. 

The mission of Institutional Wings will be to organize, train and equip the Air Force combat forces and will include units such as flying training wings and test wings. 

Air Base Wings will focus on the skills and readiness necessary to protect, sustain and operate the power projection platform (the installation), supporting Combat Wings and/or Institutional Wings along with any other tenant units. They maintain the responsibility to ensure base operations in competition, crisis and conflict while also providing for the care and support of family readiness for the entire base community. 

The missions of preparing and employing forces, as well as defending the installation against threats are full time jobs; the addition of the Air Base Wing allows all Airmen, from commanders to those working the line, to dedicate their full attention to their specific mission instead of dividing their attention. 

“Operating and protecting our bases under enemy threat is crucial, and we must ensure our Airmen are properly trained and prepared for deployment,” said Col. Scott Yeatman, current operations deputy director. “To achieve this, our goal is to have teams of Airmen receive comprehensive training through the four phase Air Force Force Generation cycle so they’re ready for action the minute they hit the ground on a deployment.” 

According to Air Force Deputy Chief of Operations Lt.Gen. Adrian Spain, “Airmen will form into cohesive units focused on training, exercising and deploying together as a mission-ready, warfighting team. These changes are fundamental to generating team readiness and increasing lethality for assured mission success.” 

In parallel with these efforts, Air Force wings will largely dissolve the group command echelon and implement a wing A-Staff to facilitate wing commander decision-making and better enable the squadrons to execute their missions. 

“We’ll be standardizing our staff structure across all bases, with a consistent framework, while allowing for necessary flexibility based on mission requirements at the local level. These changes will ensure the service is better organized and trained to execute operations across the joint warfighting functions,” Yeatman explained. 

Roadshow engagements address how these changes will directly affect each installation they visit, how each organization will be equipped to more effectively support Department of the Air Force mission requirements and provide a forum for Airmen to ask questions. 

“Reoptimizing the Air Force into Combat, Institutionaland Air Base wings is a foundational change to how we prepare and deploy combat effective forces,” said Brig. Gen. David Epperson, special assistant to the Air Force Chief of Staff. “I am excited for this roadshow and the opportunity it provides to both share information and engage in direct conversation with Airmen at the unit level about the way forward.” 

More resources on the Air Force’s ongoing reoptimization efforts can be found here. 

By TSgt Nick Z. Erwin, Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs

FALLS CHURCH, Va. (AFNS) —  

The Department of Air Force updated a medical guidance memorandum, Jan. 24, 2025, to offer healthcare providers additional guidance when evaluating Airmen and Guardians for a Pseudofolliculitis Barbae, or PFB, diagnosis.

PFB is a chronic inflammatory skin condition in response to the entrapment of recently cut, short hairs. In June 2020, the Air Force Medical Serviceestablished guidance for shaving profiles and implemented a five-year shaving profile for patients with PFB. However, the guidance did not offer medical providers clear language on the diagnosis of PFB, and it did not differentiate PFB from shaving irritation.

The new profile guidance takes effect March 1, 2025, and distinguishes between mild, moderate and severe cases of PFB. In addition to the guidance, the AFMS is providing additional information, consistent across the Department of Defense, to educate providers and patients on grooming techniques, treatment methods, and temporary and permanent profile exemptions.

According to the memorandum, permanent and extended duration shaving profiles are generally reserved for severe cases, while mild-to-moderate cases may benefit from more frequent management, follow-ups, and temporary profiles.

While all current shaving profiles remain valid, as the memorandum is implemented March 1, 2025, shaving-related profiles will expire 90 calendar days after the individual’s next periodic health assessment. The 90-day window equips Airmen and Guardians with time to schedule and complete an appointment with their healthcare provider to reevaluate the condition.

The shaving guidance memorandum from the Department of the Air Force will serve as a guideline, emphasizing education and consistency to ensure standardization and proper management of medical shaving policies across the DAF.

Current Efforts: Education and Evaluation
Moving forward, the AFMS is focusing on educating service members, privileged providers, and senior profiling officers about shaving waivers. Key aspects of this initiative include:

Distinguishing Between Conditions: Educating medical professionals on the differences between mild, moderate, and severe PFB versus shaving irritation.

Training for Providers: Ensuring all providers who issue profiles understand the standards and receive additional training as needed.

Unit-Level Training: Implementing education efforts at the unit level to enhance understanding across the force.

Memorandum Guidance: Shaving Guidance Memorandum signed Jan. 24 to standardize how profiles for medical necessity are evaluated and issued.

Col. Mark B. Dudley, Flight and Operational Medicine branch chief, said “from a medical standpoint, our job is to evaluate, diagnose, treat and provide a profile if necessary. Our goal with any medical condition is to return the individual to duty and enable them to meet the standards based on DAF or policy DoD.”

Bridging Standards with Sister Services
Aligning Department of the Air Force policies with Army and Navy standards is a critical aspect of these reforms.

“We need to educate medical providers and profiling officers for mild, moderate, and severe conditions. Our sister services already provide that baseline education,” Lt. Gen. John J. DeGoes, U.S. Air Force and Space Force surgeon general, said. “This initiative will ensure consistency across the Department of Defense and better prepare service members and providers to address grooming-related medical conditions.”

This guidance is in alignment with the overall Department of the Air Force effort to create policy that is easier to understand, easier to comply with and easier to enforce with the goal of maintaining a highly disciplined and professional force.

Looking Ahead
The AFMS is committed to ensuring that medical profiles relating to shaving are understood and applied uniformly across the DAF. With the guidance memorandum in place, this approach will ultimately create a more standardized, informed and equitable system for service members and medical professionals alike.

As the AFMS enters the Air Force Medical Commandera, these changes will contribute to a stronger, more unified force.

Courtesy of Air Force Surgeon General Public Affairs