Examination of the Applicability of Crew Resource Management Training Concepts to a Combined Air Operations Center Team

On 14 April 1994, two USAF F-15C pilots mistakenly shot down two US Army Black Hawk helicopters and killed 26 American and coalition service members during Operation Provide Comfort (OPC). The USAF Combat Air Forces (CAF) Crew Resource Management (CRM) program emphasizes error-management training at the tactical level with respect to individual flight crew members. The goal of the USAF CAF CRM program is to maximize operational effectiveness and combat capability while preserving Air Force personnel and material resources. This program emphasizes team-training concepts including situational awareness, communication, crew coordination, decision making, task and risk management, flight integrity, and mission planning and debriefing. This research has shown that "CRM-type" errors made within the OPC Combined Task Force within the operational level command structure ultimately contributed to the tactical level errors. The Combined Air Operations Center (CAOC) provides operational level command and control for air operations. This research has also shown that CRM-type skills are applicable to the CAOC Offensive Operations Team in its time critical targeting function. Thus, future CAOC team training developers may find utility in a CRM-type team coordination training program.