The Air Force Manpower Agency activated four new manpower squadrons to more effectively meet the needs of today’s expeditionary Air Force and to better position itself to support future capabilities.

The 5th Manpower Requirements Squadron at Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., and the 4th MRS at Buckley Annex, Colo., held formal activation ceremonies in January. The 2nd MRS at NASA-Langley Research Center, Va., and the 3rd MRS at Scott AFB, Ill., will have formal activation ceremonies later this spring.

“These new squadrons have a clear mission: to determine Air Force manpower requirements, to define our emerging needs to counter a complex enemy and to do it with a significantly smaller force,” said Col. Kenneth Keskel, AFMA commander. “With all the changes going on in today’s Air Force, we need to ensure we have a flexible, enduring process to develop manpower standards for the total force and have the ability to document our critical deployment requirements up front.”

This restructuring also centralizes the Air Force’s management engineering capabilities and positions manpower specialists to effectively support Air Force concepts of operations, or CONOPS. The squadrons are regionally based to support the major commands, which in turn champion the CONOPS.

For example, the 2nd MRS is located near Air Combat Command, Langley AFB, Va., where it can effectively support global strike. A portion of the squadrons’ resources will be used to support MAJCOM-specific studies, as authorizations were realigned from base and MAJCOM manpower staffs to man the new squadrons.

In addition, by being placed near the MAJCOMs, the squadrons’ manpower specialists will be able to better understand the commands and functional areas they serve, said Grover Lindsey, 3rd MRS’ deputy director. His squadron formally activates in March. “It’s a huge benefit to be able to team up with manpower people within our area of responsibility and develop working relationships with them. By meeting face-to-face with the action officers, we can learn how to better support them.”

Despite the agency’s restructuring, Colonel Keskel says its basic manpower mission remains the same.

“Just like the 1st MRS here at AFMA, these squadrons will be determining manpower requirements for the Air Force, and they will be doing special studies as required,” Colonel Keskel said. “However, with the addition of the new squadrons, we’ll have all the resources together at each location to maximize what we are doing and produce a better product.”

The squadrons will use a capability-based study process that goes beyond the traditional manpower scope by providing practical models that can be applied across the Air Force. This process gives Air Force senior leaders a total force perspective, which allows them to make decisions on the proper use of critical manpower resources.

“Whether the Air Force is supporting war efforts or disaster-relief operations, we want these squadrons to have the necessary tools and be flexible enough to support the AEF construct,” Colonel Keskel said. “It’s all about giving our senior leaders the tools and information they need to address our future threats -- these squadrons are going to help us do that.”

The AFMA is a field operating agency that reports directly to Headquarters U.S. Air Force Directorate of Manpower, Organization and Resources.

The Air Force Manpower Requirements Determination Squadron, co-located at Headquarters AFMA at Randolph AFB, Texas, was activated in November 2001 and was redesignated as the 1st Manpower Requirements Squadron in December 2004.