Date of Award

3-2023

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Department

Department of Systems Engineering and Management

First Advisor

Brigham A. Moore, PhD

Abstract

United States Air Force (USAF) bases are key power projection platforms that ensure mission readiness and help bring humanitarian aid to locations in need. Recovering airfields after attack or natural disaster is a key mission of USAF civil engineers, and accomplishing this repair as swiftly as possible is key to maintaining our position in the global order. Accomplishing a disaster recovery project is a set of teams, each assigned to a specific task, and made up of a series of personnel. The question answered within this paper is: how do we match the right person with the appropriate skills to the right team at the most advantageous time? And then how do we use these teams to accomplish the tasks that need to be done in a way that minimizes the overall project time? In this paper, I answer these questions using a multiple knapsack approach to optimize overall project time using personnel capability to modify project time. I found that highly capable personnel are preferred in the model over less or moderately capable personnel. I conclude that specific and regular skill training should be conducted at the unit level to increase capability of personnel at disaster recovery skills; this will lead to a more effective disaster recovery effort.

AFIT Designator

AFIT-ENV-MS-23-M-219

Comments

A 12-month embargo was observed.

Approved for public release: 88ABW-2023-0377

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