09-11-2011, 11:37 AM
0
My guess...and it just a guess...is that it would be a cost reduction strategy.
Keeping aircraft armed and ready requires quite a number of personnel to be actively working. Even though these people are essentially being paid no matter what they are doing, if actively manning the posts needed for such a program they would be using resources like utilities (elect, water, HVAC, gas for vehicles) and require personnel to keep up with supporting documentation and all the related paperwork the govt is so fond of.
As such if no force is on combat ready standby, personnel can be spread out thinner thereby reducing the effective cost of operations for any given location.
Just a guess.
Keeping aircraft armed and ready requires quite a number of personnel to be actively working. Even though these people are essentially being paid no matter what they are doing, if actively manning the posts needed for such a program they would be using resources like utilities (elect, water, HVAC, gas for vehicles) and require personnel to keep up with supporting documentation and all the related paperwork the govt is so fond of.
As such if no force is on combat ready standby, personnel can be spread out thinner thereby reducing the effective cost of operations for any given location.
Just a guess.