Guide · 7 min read

What Supplements Apply to DAFI 21-101? (And Does Your MAJCOM Have One?)

DAFI 21-101 carries MAJCOM supplements from ACC, AMC, PACAF, AFGSC, AFMC and more — but several were certified before the base instruction's latest update, so the local rule may lag. Here's the full tree.

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MAJCOM supplements layer onto DAFI 21-101 — and some predate the base's latest change.

What you'll learn
The DAFI 21-101 supplement tree
Does my MAJCOM have a supplement?
The lag trap: when a supplement predates its base
How to read a supplement against the base
FAQ

The DAFI 21-101 supplement tree

DAFI 21-101, Aircraft and Equipment Maintenance Management, is the base instruction. Most MAJCOMs publish a supplement that tightens or extends it for their aircraft and operating environment.

The live, always-current tree — every supplement, its command, certification date, and currency flag — is on the DAFI 21-101 page. Start there before you inspect.

Does my MAJCOM have a supplement?

If you fly for ACC, AMC, PACAF, AFGSC, or AFMC, there's a good chance the answer is yes. The supplement controls the local rule wherever it's stricter than the base.

Key takeaway: "No supplement" doesn't mean "no extra rules" — it means the base instruction is the controlling document for your unit. Confirm which case you're in.

The lag trap: when a supplement predates its base

Here's the finding most inspectors miss. Across the supplements we index, 75% were last updated before the base instruction they modify. A supplement certified in 2022 can't reflect a 2024 change to the base.

75%

of indexed MAJCOM/unit supplements lag the base instruction they modify.

We flag every lagging supplement on the base-pub page with an amber badge, so you can see at a glance whether the local guidance you're inspecting to is behind the base.

How to read a supplement against the base

A supplement only states what it changes. Read it side-by-side with the base: paragraphs the supplement doesn't touch still come from the base instruction.

Pro tip: The Lookup Tool returns the base plus its full supplement tree and the currency flag on each, so you can spot a lagging supplement before it turns into a bad finding.
🔎Look up any pub in one shotSupplement tree, currency status, and OSHA links — free.Open Lookup →

Frequently asked questions

Where do MAJCOM supplements to DAFI 21-101 live?
On the public e-Publishing catalog under each command. CheckMyAFI gathers them into one supplement tree under the base pub so you don't have to hunt command by command.
If my MAJCOM has no supplement, what controls?
The base DAFI 21-101 is the controlling document. Absence of a supplement means no command-level additions — not an exemption.
How do I know if a supplement is out of date?
Compare its last-updated date to the base instruction's. If the supplement is older, it can't reflect the base's latest changes — we badge these as lagging.
Does a unit supplement override a MAJCOM supplement?
Layering runs base → MAJCOM → unit, each adding or tightening. The most specific, most protective applicable requirement controls.
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