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9.3 Manpower Management

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Air Force PFE Promotion Fitness Examination

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1 Introduction & Exam Overview

1.1 PFE Exam Facts & Format 1.2 The WAPS Scoring System 1.3 The Tested AFH 1 Chapters & Study Strategy

2 Professionalism (AFH 1, Chapter 1)

2.1 The USAF Professional & the Profession of Arms 2.2 The Air Force Core Values & Their Virtues 2.3 Ethical Standards & the Airman's Creed

3 Military Organization & Command (AFH 1, Chapter 5)

3.1 The United States Armed Forces 3.2 The Military Departments & Services 3.3 Military Command Structure & Combatant Commands 3.4 The Air Force Total Force 3.5 Air Force Organizational Structure

4 Enlisted Force Development I (AFH 1, Chapter 7A–7D)

4.1 Leadership Levels 4.2 The Enlisted Force Structure & Tiers 4.3 Duty Titles & Special Positions 4.4 Force Development & the Competency Framework

5 Enlisted Force Development II (AFH 1, Chapter 7E–7H)

5.1 Training Responsibilities & Upgrade Training 5.2 Professional Military Education 5.3 The Community College of the Air Force 5.4 Continuing Education & Voluntary Programs

6 Assessments & Recognition (AFH 1, Chapter 8)

6.1 The Airman Comprehensive Assessment 6.2 Performance Evaluations & the EPB 6.3 Reenlistments, Retention & Continuation 6.4 Awards & Decorations

7 Enlisted Promotions (AFH 1, Chapter 9)

7.1 Promotion Systems & Programs 7.2 Promotion Cycles & Eligibility 7.3 Preparation & Individual Responsibilities 7.4 Promotion Testing & Test Control 7.5 Evaluation Boards & Central Selection

8 Personnel Programs & Benefits (AFH 1, Chapter 11)

8.1 Benefits & Services 8.2 Leave & Authorized Absences 8.3 Military Associations & Civilian Programs

9 Finance, Manpower & Resources (AFH 1, Chapter 12)

9.1 Individual Finances & Allowances 9.2 Official Travel Expenses & Allowances 9.3 Manpower Management 9.4 Resource Management & Stewardship 9.5 Environmental Commitment

10 Developing Organizations (AFH 1, Chapter 13)

10.1 Strategic Thinking & Results Focus 10.2 Resources & Organizational Structure 10.3 Change Management & Problem Solving

11 Developing Others (AFH 1, Chapter 14)

11.1 Teamwork & Team Dynamics 11.2 Develops People: Mentoring, Coaching & Feedback 11.3 Service Mindset & Fostering Effective Relationships 11.4 Leadership: Styles, Power & Influence

12 Developing Self I (AFH 1, Chapter 15A–15C)

12.1 Accountability & Self-Management 12.2 Military Communication 12.3 Preparing to Communicate

13 Developing Self II (AFH 1, Chapter 15D–15F)

13.1 Written Communication 13.2 Spoken Communication 13.3 Electronic Messaging

14 Developing Ideas (AFH 1, Chapter 16)

14.1 What We Know: Priorities & Innovation 14.2 Cognitive Processes & Critical Thinking 14.3 Informed Decision-Making 14.4 What We Don't Know: Uncertainty & Assumptions

15 Emergency Management (AFH 1, Chapter 17)

15.1 Air Force Emergency Management, Disasters & Hazards 15.2 Preparedness, MOPP & Individual Protection 15.3 Crisis Response & Recovery 15.4 Department of the Air Force Mishap Prevention 15.5 Risk Management

16 Security (AFH 1, Chapter 18)

16.1 Integrated Defense & Force Protection Conditions 16.2 Operations Security (OPSEC) 16.3 Information Protection & Classification 16.4 Information Access, Cybersecurity & Mobility 16.5 Antiterrorism

17 Standards of Conduct (AFH 1, Chapter 19)

17.1 A Way of Life: Oaths, Standards & Off-Duty Conduct 17.2 The Law of War 17.3 The Code of Conduct

18 Enforcing Military Standards (AFH 1, Chapter 20)

18.1 The Air Force Inspection System 18.2 Individual Accountability & Corrective Action 18.3 Appropriate Working Relationships & Fraternization 18.4 Addressing Misconduct & Prohibited Behavior

19 Fitness & Readiness (AFH 1, Chapter 22)

19.1 USAF Fitness & Comprehensive Airman Fitness 19.2 The Official Fitness Assessment 19.3 Nutrition & Performance 19.4 Substance Use, Abuse & Treatment Programs 19.5 Readiness State of Mind & Resilience

20 Military Customs & Courtesies (AFH 1, Chapter 24)

20.1 Honored Traditions: Saluting, Titles & Reporting 20.2 Respect for the Flag 20.3 Respect for Individuals 20.4 Ceremonies & Events 20.5 Drill & Formation 20.6 Preserving Our Heritage

21 SJT Format & Competencies

21.1 SJT Format & Mechanics 21.2 Airman Leadership Qualities (ALQs) 21.3 Foundational Competencies & Behaviors

22 SJT Reasoning, Scenarios & Traps

22.1 SJT Reasoning Strategies 22.2 Sample SJT Scenarios 22.3 SJT Traps & Best Practices

9.3 Manpower Management

Key Takeaways Explain This Topic AI

Three types of manpower conduct the Air Force mission: military personnel, in-service civilian employees, and contracted services.

Military personnel are assigned only to positions that directly contribute to prosecution of war; are military by law, custom, or tradition; or are needed for overseas rotation, operational deployment augmentation, or career field sustainment.

The Unit Manpower Document is the primary document reflecting the manpower required to accomplish the unit mission, listing both funded and unfunded requirements.

In a competitive sourcing study the mission remains essentially unchanged — it is the composition of the workforce that changes.

Contracted functions found to be inherently governmental, exempt from contract performance, unauthorized personal services, or experiencing contract administration problems must be in-sourced regardless of cost.

Last updated: August 2026

Manpower as a Constrained Resource

AFH 1 opens with the framing sentence: "Manpower is a constrained resource that comprises a significant portion of the USAF budget." All missions and programs compete for authorized military and civilian end-strength and established grade distributions , and therefore must comply with guidelines as directed by Congress .

Manpower must be programmed in accordance with validated manpower requirements, within fiscal limits and acceptable risks , as identified in defense planning and programming guidance. The Directorate of Manpower, Organization and Resources, Program Development Division allocates programmed manpower by command identifier, program element code, resource identification code, and country state code , which are then translated into manpower authorizations by updating the unit manpower document .

Meeting Short-Term Demand Without a Manpower Change Request

AFH 1 lists five alternatives MAJCOMs should use for short-term mission or surge workload:

  • Use available funds and command civilian employment plans to employ civilians
  • Use overtime, temporary full-time, part-time, or overhire of civilian personnel
  • Seek support from the Air Reserve Component via military pay appropriation funds
  • Utilize temporary duty military and civilian personnel
  • Seek contract service

Changes to command-specific military and civilian manpower requirements must be validated and approved by Headquarters Air Force before use in programming and resourcing.

Determining Requirements

Three types of manpower are used to conduct the mission:

  • Military personnel
  • In-service civilian employees
  • Contracted services

The assignment rule for military personnel is a set-piece item. Per DoD guidance, the services assign military personnel only to positions that:

  • Directly contribute to the prosecution of war
  • Are military by law, custom, or tradition
  • Are needed for overseas rotation, operational deployment augmentation, or career field sustainment

The manpower requirements determination process "systematically identifies minimum-essential manpower required for the most effective and economical accomplishment of approved missions and functions within organizational and resource constraints."

The defense planning guidance defines the planning scenarios used to size and shape the Total Force , and requirements are sized for the most demanding phase of the scenario construct, including rotational forces needed for prolonged conflicts .

Key services of the manpower competency: peacetime manpower standards development, wartime manpower requirements, and commercial services management actions such as public-private competition, in-sourcing, and business process reengineering .

The Unit Manpower Document

Per AFI 38-101 , a manpower requirement is "the manpower needed to accomplish a job, mission, or program," and it can be documented as a funded manpower authorization or an unfunded requirement .

The Unit Manpower Document (UMD) is "the primary document that reflects the manpower required to accomplish the unit mission." It is a computer-generated product listing funded and unfunded manpower requirements.

UMD data elements — a listed set worth memorizing:

  • Data element
  • Position number
  • Air Force Specialty Code
  • Functional account code
  • Office symbol code
  • Grade
  • Personnel accounting symbol
  • Reason code

Supervisor responsibility: routinely check the UMD for accuracy and use it to track authorized manpower strength . To change a requirement, submit a manpower change request with justification to the servicing manpower organization ; approved changes are reflected by a change notice generated by the manpower programming and execution system .

The Manpower and Organization Flight

The four core competencies of manpower and organization:

  • Organization structure
  • Requirement determination
  • Program allocation and control
  • Process improvement

Day-to-day services include UMD management, assistance with manpower change requests, change notices, and organizational structure changes . Other management services include performance management, commercial activity services, the Airmen Powered by Innovation Program, continuous process improvement, and management advisory studies .

Commercial Services Management

CSM is "a program designed to improve USAF functions using a variety of management tools including competitive sourcing, in-sourcing, and post-competition accountability."

Three principal goals:

  • Sustain readiness
  • Improve performance and quality by doing business more efficiently and cost effectively
  • Focus available personnel and resources on core USAF missions

The critical limit: Commercial Services Management will not affect military-essential skills or those functions that are inherently governmental.

Oversight sits with the major command Manpower Organization and Resources Office , which guides Manpower and Organization Flights at the wings. The Air Force Manpower Analysis Agency develops tools, templates, and guidebooks, administers the inherently governmental/commercial activities inventory , monitors post-competition accountability , and provides field support.

Competitive Sourcing and In-Sourcing

Competitive sourcing "generates savings by finding more efficient ways to accomplish a particular function." A competitive sourcing study is a public-private competition that compares the total cost of the in-house government operation of an activity to the total cost of private sector performance of the same activity to determine the most economical or efficient approach .

AFH 1 makes the key conceptual point explicitly, and it is the most likely item from this passage:

In a competitive sourcing study, the mission remains essentially unchanged. It is the composition of the workforce that changes.

Where military personnel were performing the mission, the resulting service provider will be made up of either civil servants or private sector contract employees , which frees up military personnel to perform other core military-essential activities .

In-sourcing is "the conversion of a contracted function to Department of Defense civilian or military performance, or vice versa." An in-sourcing business case analysis compares the cost of a contracted function to the cost of DoD civilian employees performing the same activity, and includes certifications validating contract cost, in-house manning, available labor pool, and that the activity meets the requirements of a valid and enduring mission requirement .

In-sourcing applies when the function:

  • Has been performed by DoD civilian employees at any time during the previous 10 years
  • Is closely associated with the performance of an inherently governmental function
  • Has been performed pursuant to a contract awarded on a noncompetitive basis

Has been determined by a contracting officer to have been performed poorly during the five years preceding the determination, because of excessive costs or inferior quality

The cost-blind exception. Per the Deputy Secretary of Defense implementation guidance, contracted functions found to be inherently governmental, exempt from contract performance, unauthorized personal services, or experiencing problems associated with contract administration shall be in-sourced regardless of cost. Note the 10-year and five-year lookbacks in the criteria — reversing them is the standard distractor.