Category: Aviation

Source: United States Air Force

AURORA, Colo. (AFNS) —  

Gen. Mike Minihan, commander of Air Mobility Command, participated in the “Rising Intensity of Competition and Conflict” panel with commander of Air Combat Command, Gen. Mark D. Kelly, U.S. Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa commander Gen. James B. Hecker, and Pacific Air Forces commander Gen. Kevin Schneider, Feb. 13, at the Air and Space Forces Association Warfare Symposium at the Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center in Aurora.

During the panel, moderated by retired Gen. Herbert Carlisle, former ACC commander, Minihan centered on advancements the command is pursuing in 2024 to account for rising global tensions and strategic competition. He emphasized the need for near-term investment in connectivity to improve the survivability, agility, resiliency, and lethality of AMC warfighting capabilities.

“I want to get 25 percent of my fleet connected by 2025. Connectivity and joining the DAF Battle Network allows us to maneuver the exquisite joint, coalition capabilities into the position of advantage so that they can be successful. This is not about the MAF’s survival, it is about everyone’s survival and ability to win.” Gen. Mike Minihan, commander of Air Mobility Command

Minihan’s approach also includes his 10-line initiatives – broken down to four bins of data, decision advantage, development and discipline – aimed at creating irreversible momentum toward addressing gaps in solidifying command relationships, improving command and control, and honing AMC’s ability to explode into theater.

“I’ve got six months left in command and in my career, and I intend to close those gaps by the time I’m on that change of command stage,” Minihan said.

Over the course of 2023, AMC flexed to respond to contingency operations on a large scale. Across the year, the command flew over 23 thousand global missions, transporting more than 283,000 tons of cargo and more than 705,000 passengers. The end of the year saw the sharpest increase in tempo as the Department of Defense surged support to the central and European commands areas of responsibility while maintaining its global obligations. These events once again demonstrated AMC’s role as the joint force maneuver.

“It is not lost on AMC that we are the most relied upon force in the history of warfare,” Minihan said. “The reality is everybody else’s success – the Air Force, the joint force, the multiple combatant commands – is dependent on us being able to put them in position to be successful, and we take this charge very seriously.”

Even with the success the command saw throughout 2023, Minihan recognizes there is more work to be done, including ensuring the MAF is ready for strategic competition, deterrence, and potential conflict in the Pacific. One of the major areas of improvement is optimizing human performance for aircrew conducting maximum endurance operations. To address this problem set, AMC hosted a Human Performance Industry Day in December aimed ensuring the MAF is ready for maximum endurance operations in the Pacific.

Exercises also aligned joint and allied partners to ensure the command is ready. AMC played vital roles in exercises Bamboo Eagle 24-1 and Red Flag in January while testing new capabilities that supported Minihan’s 10-line initiatives. Examples of these capabilities include palletized effects, connectivity advancements, and maneuver battle management.

“MBM is not the fun part of battle management. It is all the things that need to happen so that we have the privilege of executing a kill chain,” Minihan said. “Do we have the gas in the right place? Do we have the munitions in the right place? Do we have everything required so that we can maneuver our capabilities to a position of advantage so that they can be lethal. Amateurs study tactics, professionals study logistics … victors study maneuver.”

“BE 24-1 gave us a realistic, challenging scenario to get after maneuver and what we need most to be successful is connectivity,” he continued.

Each commander expressed concern for global tensions rising and the need to ensure forces are postured to respond. AMC is aggressively addressing shortfalls, and filling gaps that will allow the joint force to operate at the tempo and relevance to win if called upon.

“I don’t lose sleep because of our amazing Airmen, who fill the gap between what they have versus what they need, and they do so with courage, tenacity, professionalism, passion,” Minihan said. “It doesn’t matter whether they fly, fix, or support. [Their] value to the mission is not proportional to [their] proximity to the cockpit. It takes all of us to get the mission done.”

Source: United States Air Force

AURORA, Colo. (AFNS) —  

To best optimize itself for great power competition, the Air Force plans to, among other things, bring back warrant officers within the cyber and information technology professions, said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David W. Allvin during a presentation Feb. 12 at the Air Force Association’s 2024 Warfare Symposium.

That change was among two dozen announced by senior Air Force officials. Each change is specifically designed to prepare the service for strategic power challenges from competitors like China and Russia.

“Both China and Russia are actively developing and fielding more advanced capabilities designed to defeat U.S. power projection,” said Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall. “The need for modernization against capable, well-resourced strategic adversaries never stops. But modernization isn’t the only thing we need to do to be competitive. Today we are announcing 24 key decisions we have made to improve both the readiness of the current force and our ability to stay competitive over time, to continuously generate enduring competitiveness.”

Those changes, Kendall said, focus on people, readiness, power projection and capability development and are implemented within the Department of the Air Force, the Air Force and the Space Force.

Spotlight: Science and Tech
Within the Air Force, Allvin explained, the service is looking to better attract and develop cutting-edge talent, specifically within information technology and cyber fields. The service plans to expand technical tracks for officers and create technical tracks for enlisted, and to also reintroduce the rank of warrant officer within the information technology and cyber fields as a way to maintain technical leadership with those skills.

“We know there are people who want to serve. They just want to code for their country. They would like to be network attack people and do that business,” Allvin said. “But everybody needs to see themselves into the future beyond just this assignment or the next. So, developing that warrant officer track for this narrow career field, we anticipate will drive that talent in and help us to keep that talent. There’s something specific about this career field, why it’s attractive and it’s a nice match for a warrant officer program. The pace of change of the cyber world, the coding world, the software world — it is so rapidly advancing, we need those airmen to be on the cutting edge and stay on the cutting edge.”

The Air Force had warrant officers when it was created in 1947, after being split off from the U.S. Army. But the service stopped appointing warrant officers in the late 1950s.

Allvin also discussed changes in the way the Air Force will conduct exercises. The plan is for the service to implement large-scale exercises and mission-focused training which encompasses multiple operations plans to demonstrate and rehearse for complex, large-scale military operations, he said.

“We’re going to reorient ourselves to more large-scale exercises rather than a smaller scale that have been a product of the last two to three decades,” Allvin said. “Large-scale means multiple weapons systems, multiple capabilities, coming together in a combat-simulated environment and showing our ability to execute the mission that’s going to be expected of us in the high-end conflict.”

Exercises in recent years, he said, have already been getting bigger. But those enhancements have been driven at the local level, not from the top down. That will change.

“Our Air Force needs to institutionalize this,” he said. “And we’re going to do that.”

He said the Air Force is looking at fiscal year 2025 for its first large-scale, multi-combatant command exercise targeted at Indo-Pacom.

Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman said a change underway within the Space Force is to enhance readiness by implementing standards that reflect operations under contested conditions rather than those of a benign environment.

“The legacy force that we had, our roots … were built around efficiency, built around a benign environment,” he said. “So, the standards for readiness that we kind of held our forces to was different. It wasn’t built for the domains that we’re facing, a contested domain.”

Now, Saltzman said, the Space Force must rewrite its standards for readiness centered around a contested domain, rather than an uncontested domain.

Spotlight: DoD Space Strategy
That, he said, means in part having the right mix of officers, enlisted personnel and civilians in Space Force units. It also means training must be aimed at more than just procedural competency.

“As soon as you put a red force in the mix, as soon as you put a threat in the mix, it radically changes your training,” he said. “You have to have advanced training, you have to have tactics training, you have to understand how you work together, in-comms, out of comms, with other units, in order to continue to achieve the kinds of effects in a contested domain when an adversary, a capable adversary, is doing everything they can to stop you from being successful.”

Space Force, he said, will build a training infrastructure and a test infrastructure to validate its tactics so operators will know more than just how to operate equipment — but will be successful against an adversary.

Kristyn Jones, who is currently performing the duties of the undersecretary of the Air Force, also pointed to changes at Department of the Air Force level. There, she said, among those changes, the department expects to create an Air Force Integrated Capabilities Office to lead capability development and resource prioritization. The office is expected to drive Department of the Air Force modernization investments.

“We’ll be looking at capabilities across our services, not in stovepipes,” she said. “We’re enabling end-to-end creation of effects. This organization will help us to prioritize our investments and will be responsible for working with us to determine the next iteration of operational imperatives.”

Source: United States Air Force

AURORA, Colo. (AFNS) —  

Gen. James B. Hecker, commander of U.S. Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa and NATO Allied Air Command, provided updates on USAFE-AFAFRICA’s priorities during multiple engagements at the Air and Space Forces Association Warfare Symposium, Feb. 13.

During a media roundtable, Hecker spoke with reporters to emphasize the unwavering commitment USAFE-AFAFRICA shares with allies and partners.

“We’re stronger than ever. We have 31 [NATO] nations, soon to be 32 we hope not in the too distant future,” Hecker said. “Everything that we do within NATO, as well as USAFE-AFAFRICA, is to deter our competitors [from engaging in acts of aggression].”

Hecker also articulated the command’s five operational focus areas, aimed at ensuring USAFE-AFAFRICA forces are able to achieve air superiority, on demand, alongside allies and partners. The five focus areas include: countering an adversary’s anti-access area-denial capabilities, integrated air and missile defense, intelligence and information sharing, command and control, and agile combat employment.

“I came up with five priorities about six months after I took command, and those haven’t changed. I think all countries realize you can’t go about this on your own. We’re much better working with partners and allies. This doesn’t matter if it’s over in the European theater or in Africa.” Gen. James Hecker, Commander of U.S. Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa and NATO Allied Air Command

The integration of missile defense systems amongst NATO members remains a top priority for the U.S. Air Force and USAFE-AFAFRICA. An integrated missile defense system enhances collective defense measures while reinforcing the NATO Alliance’s commitment to leveraging top-tier military capabilities for regional security and deterrence.

“My second operational focus area is the need for a very sophisticated integrated air and missile defense system,” Hecker stated. “Integrated air and missile defense is something that we are always interested in.”

During the roundtable, Hecker also addressed questions on lessons he has seen from the war in Ukraine. In his response, he highlighted various innovative tactical methods employed by the Ukrainian Military such as the use of low-cost, acoustic detection systems and how the Ukrainian military has been innovative in developing and employing unmanned aerial systems.

In addition to the media roundtable, Hecker participated in a panel on the rising intensity of competition and conflict alongside Gen. Mark Kelly, commander of Air Combat Command, Gen. Mike Minihan, commander of Air Mobility Command and Gen. Kevin Schneider, commander of Pacific Air Forces.

In his panel comments, Hecker continued to emphasize the strategic importance of a robust NATO Alliance, ready to fight and win when called upon to do so.

“We need to move with a sense of urgency so we can deter threats,” Hecker said. “If that fails, we need to be ready to defeat aggression. That’s my message not only to the NATO Air Chiefs, but any partner as well.”

Source: United States Air Force

AURORA, CO. (AFNS) —  

Only hours after Air Force leaders announced sweeping changes to “reoptimize” the service, one of the plan’s architects, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin, told a large and influential audience Feb. 13 that the effort kicks off in a “time of consequence” in Air Force history.

Allvin’s keynote remarks at the AFA Warfare Symposium put the ambitious reoptimization in historical terms, linking it in significance to the consequential eras preceding well known shifts in Air Force history such as Doolittle’s raid on Japan, the Berlin Airlift, and more historic events such as the fall of the Berlin Wall.

“Since the dawn of airpower, our proud heritage in history has been intertwined with key events in combat that have shaped … a nation and in some cases, the world. Those are seminal events,” Allvin told a crowd of several thousand Airmen, Guardians, industry and elected officials, and retired personnel.

“But to me, what is more important are the times that preceded them. These are times of consequence. These are times when Airmen and air pioneers embodied what is running in our DNA – the spirit of innovation, vision, and courage. The actions of those Airmen in that time of consequence shaped those seminal events,” he said.

Plans for reoptimizing the Air Force that Allvin announced Feb. 12 alongside Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall, Acting Under Secretary of the Air Force Kristyn Jones, and Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman are designed to update the way the service acts, trains, and is equipped to make sure its hard-won superiority remains and that it is postured to deter all adversaries, and if necessary, prevail in conflict in an era of great power competition.

At every point, Allvin said, novel airpower thinkers drove ideas, such as planes taking off from ships and assembling a convoy of aircraft large enough to supply an entire city for a year, into reality.

“Visionaries like these, ahead of time, took what would have been seen as a foolhardy plan and made it something that seemed worth trying. And because it was worth trying, they did it and it succeeded,” he said, drawing a straight line from that history to the dramatic change the Air Force is embarking on now.

Allvin recounted one seminal change that involved him – the fall of the Berlin Wall. He was stationed in Germany as a wide-eyed lieutenant.

“This was an amazing time in history, and I will never forget that for as long as I live,” he said. “The fall of the Berlin Wall was a seminal event. … Did air power contribute to it? You’re damn right it did. There was relentless readiness; a demonstration that, yes, in the backdrop of the Cold War the strategic deterrence that underpinned it, our Airmen were ready to meet the challenge.”

Sketching the well-known history Allvin also noted that, in real time, these historic events are not seen as such. But the quality and determination, the focus and especially performance of Air Force personnel, particularly Airmen, he said, are “crucial to success.”

“What’s our next seminal event? I don’t know,” he said. “But I do know that right now we are in a time of consequence. What we do now matters.”

In relaying the Air Force’s key moments in history, Allvin said focus and dedication to everyday jobs is critical. Doing that and being ready and agile, he said, ensures “that we will continue to reinvent ourselves into the future to be the most dominant Air Force in the world.”

Doolittle’s raid on Japan in 1942 was audacious and historic.

But it was the air power theorists and the aviation innovators, living and working in a time of consequence prior to Doolittle’s Raid, that shaped the seminal event, Allvin said.

The Air Force of today must apply that same strategy and mindset to be successful. The Total Force, he said, must be comfortable theorizing, working hard, pushing boundaries, and testing new ideas.

Despite uncertainty and challenges, Allvin suggested that this history means those uncertainties and challenges will be met yet again, that the Air Force has the talent, drive, and culture to adapt, find the necessary solutions and put them to effective use.

Allvin closed with a clear, unambiguous call to action to the Total Force and to those who lead.

“This is our time of consequence. What we do, the decisions we make, the actions we take, the Airmen we lead, and the way we do it, will define that next seminal event,” he said.

“We will not turn away. We will lean into it. … The stakes are high. And the time is now.”

Source: United States Air Force

AURORA, Colo. (AFNS) —  

In a show of unity fueled by a sense of urgency, senior Department of the Air Force civilian and military leaders unveiled Feb. 12 a set of sweeping decisions designed to reoptimize the Air Force and Space Force to maintain preeminence, deter adversaries, and prevail in an era of Great Power Competition.

The leaders – Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Financial Management and Comptroller performing the duties of the Under Secretary Kristyn Jones, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin, and Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman – outlined 24 specific decisions during a panel discussion at the AFA Warfare Symposium. The package of decisions, they said, will position the services to better confront China and maintain the hard-won superiority in air and space that has been a crucial foundation for deterrence and for protecting the nation’s security.

In explaining the “why” behind the decisions, Kendall was clear and unmistakable.

“We have the most pacing challenge we have ever faced – China, China, China. Ladies and gentlemen, we are out of time, we are out of time, we are out of time,” he said, reprising two familiar themes.

“The United States does not seek a conflict; we have every hope that one can be avoided,” Kendall said in his leadoff remarks. “We are, however, involved in a competition, an enduring competition that could turn into a conflict at any time. We can no longer regard conflict as a distant possibility or futured problem that we might have to confront.

“Our job, our fundamental mission – the reason we exist – is so we can be ready now and always. The name of the game is deterrence. But deterrence rests on strength and the will to use it,” he said.

With that foundation laid, Kendall and the other leaders walked through the decisions and changes that will result.

“We need fully capable units with all the assets they need to fight China or possibly Russia on short or no notice. We need units fully ready to deploy or conduct operations in place also on short or no, notice,” Kendall said.

“We need mechanisms to ensure these units are in fact ready and address any shortfalls that may be found. We need the right mix of Airmen and Guardians with the skills necessary for high end combat and to ensure technological superiority. We need an efficient and effective pipeline of technologies flowing continuously into more competitive capabilities for our highest priority missions.”

He also laid down a mandate.

“Successful execution of these changes will be the Department of the Air Force’s and all senior leaders’ top priority,” Kendall said.

The senior leaders who followed Kendall – Jones, Allvin and Saltzman – echoed his assessments and the need to move fast while also adding detail about specific parts of the initiative.

Jones focused on changes at the department’s headquarters designed to merge strategic planning and modernization more precisely and seamlessly with long range. The effort would also address resources needed to achieve the results.

One element, for example is a new command to be called the Integrated Capabilities Command that will merge and consolidate work being done separately across different commands that do not always mesh as needed. As designed, this new command will look into the future, understand force design, and test operational concepts against that and look for opportunities to update and improve force design into the future.  At the same time, this new command will examine the current force and current modernization efforts to prioritize them for the senior leadership to decide which ones get resourced at what level.

Jones, as did others, acknowledged that effort is complex, and the leaders do not have every answer to every question.

“We are confident that the changes we are putting into place will move us forward [and we’ll] adapt as needed,” she said.

“This effort is not about efficiency or doing more with less. … The world has gotten more dangerous, our battlespace is increasing, technology is advancing, decision space is shrinking, the pace of our adversaries is accelerating. All of this is driving our need to change.”

Allvin made a similar point as he outlined the decisions assigned to the Air Force.

“We are committed to these [decisions]. We do not have them exactly right, but I am unapologetic to stand here in front of you and say I do not know the exact, final destination,” he said.

“Because if we wait to move, to have those final answers, we will be too late,” he said. “We have to have trust and confidence that the analysis we’ve done will put us on the right path. I am fully confident … we can adjust once we get on course.”

Among the more high-profile changes Allvin outlined was reconfiguring air wings into “Units of Action.”

These “Units of Action,” he said, will be more capable of operating as a self-sufficient unit with the command and control, mission, and sustainment layers needed to provide airpower. Each will include experts that understand what it takes not only just to get the jets airborne, but to support them in an austere environment, be able to regenerate that combat power, be able to do logistics under attack, and other functions that Allvin and other senior leaders say are going to be required in the highly complex combat environment anticipated in an era of Great Power Competition.

These units will be organized so they can be severed from their home installations, which planners expect will face disruptions that require leaving leaders and capabilities in place that Allvin said can “fight the base.”

In his remarks, Saltzman conceded that the decisions are substantial, but he portrayed them as an opportunity.

“We are going to reoptimize because this leadership team is telling you … we’re willing to change fundamentally everything about our services so that we can get after the pacing threat, the PRC and the challenges they face,” Saltzman said, using shorthand for the People’s Republic of China.

For the Space Force itself, Saltzman said change is necessary even though the service is only four years old.

“We have to transform this service if it’s going to provide the kinds of capabilities, to include space superiority, that the joint force needs to meet its objectives. That’s the transformational charge that’s at hand,” he said.

Like the others, Saltzman put a high priority on readiness. In that regard, one of the decisions calls for implementing Space Force readiness standards that reflect operations under contested conditions rather than those of a benign environment. Readiness must be defined by the ability to deter and defeat rival powers rather than its capacity to provide services to others. Guardians will build and conduct a series of nested exercises that increase in scope and complexity to fit within a broader department-level framework, and they will use assessment results to shape force design and development.

The proposal also calls for formalizing combat squadrons as the Space Force’s Unit of Action, completing activations of the remainder of Space Force service components to combatant commands, and accelerating the implementation of the Space Force Generation Model. To be prepared for GPC, the service must fully integrate into the Joint Force — properly trained, equipped, and ready to accept mission command for assigned objectives.

Saltzman wrapped up the panel the same way Kendall began.

“We’re out of time. We have to be ready. We have to be ready tonight and tomorrow has to be more ready than today, and we have to keep looking at enduring advantages into the future. … This is the opportunity of a lifetime, to shape these forces against a threat that is going to challenge our country the most,” he said.

Source: United States Air Force

RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany (AFNS) —  

U.S. and NATO officials addressed attempts by the People’s Republic of China to manipulate alliance-trained Airmen during the Securing Our Military Expertise from Adversaries conference at NATO Allied Air Command, Ramstein Air Base, Jan. 30-31. 
 
The conference is the first such event to include broad NATO participation aimed at tackling ongoing PRC targeting of U.S. and NATO-trained military personnel for employment to fill gaps in its own air force capabilities. Targeted experience includes that of pilots, maintainers, air operations center personnel, and a variety of other technical experts across multiple occupations that could provide insight into U.S. and NATO tactics, techniques, and procedures. 
 
Among the attendees for this event were military, intelligence, and other key stakeholders from the U.S. – including representation from the U.S. National Security Council – alongside representatives from 22 NATO allies. Topics included discussing best practices to address PRC recruitment efforts and the establishment of shared goals to combat the emerging threat to U.S. and NATO security. 
 

Source: United States Air Force

AURORA, Colo. (AFNS) —  

The Department of the Air Force’s senior civilian and military leaders, Feb. 12, unveiled sweeping plans for reshaping, refocusing, and reoptimizing the Air Force and Space Force to ensure continued supremacy in those domains while also better posturing the services to deter and, if necessary, prevail in an era of Great Power Competition.

Taken together, the changes made public Feb. 12 and endorsed by Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall, Performing the Duties of Acting Under Secretary Kristyn Jones, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin and Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman represent one of the most extensive recalibrations in recent history for the Air Force and Space Force.

“Today, we are announcing 24 key decisions that are going to address the current force and our ability to stay competitive,” Kendall said in announcing the changes and the rationale behind them. “We need these changes now; we are out of time to reoptimize our forces to meet the strategic challenges in a time of Great Power Competition.”

While the changes feature a mix of near-term and longer-term initiatives, senior leaders emphasized the need for speed. “We are out of time,” Kendall said repeatedly in urging action on the changes.

The changes included in the plan are grouped in four main categories – Develop People, Generate Readiness, Project Power, Develop Capabilities – and include:

Develop People

• Consolidate force development functions under an expanded Airman Development Command to provide Airmen a common, mission-focused development and training path.

• Expand technical tracks for officers and create technical tracks for enlisted Airmen; reintroduce warrant officers in IT and Cyber fields to maintain technical leadership in these highly perishable skills.

• Develop “Mission Ready Airmen” with training focused on a mix of skills needed for wartime operational mission readiness.

• Continue to transform leadership development and training at U.S. Air Force Academy, Officer Training School, and ROTC to prepare new officers to effectively lead Airmen and Guardians in the context of Great Power Competition.

• Redesign career paths to produce Guardians that meet our high-tech operational demands.

Generate Readiness

• Reorient Air Combat Command to focus on generating and presenting ready forces to combatant commanders.

• Implement large scale exercises and mission-focused training encompassing multiple operational plans to demonstrate and rehearse for complex, large-scale military operations.

• Incorporate no-notice/limited-notice operational readiness assessments and inspections in the Air Force and Space Force to reflect pacing challenge requirements.

• Restructure key processes related to aviation spares and weapons systems to be data-driven and risk-informed to improve weapon systems health.

• Implement Space Force readiness standards that reflect operations under contested conditions rather than those of a benign environment.

• Conduct a series of nested exercises in the Space Force, that increase in scope and complexity, fit within a broader Department of the Air Force-level framework, and are assessed through a Service-level, data-driven process to measure readiness.

Project Power

• Structure Air Force Operational Wings as mission ready “Units of Action” categorized as Deployable Combat Wings, In-Place Combat Wings or Combat Generation Wings. Each will have its own structure, with a redesigned concept of support for agile combat employment or ACE, to ensure the wings are prepared to execute their missions with assigned Airmen and units.

• Establish the relationship between Combat Wings and Base Command. Combat Wings will focus on mission level warfighting readiness and Base Commands will focus on supporting Combat Wings and operating the base in competition, crisis and conflict.

• Elevate AFCYBER to a standalone Service Component Command, reflecting the importance of the cyber mission to the Joint Force and across the Department of the Air Force. 

• Formalize Space Force Combat Squadrons as Units of Action, complete activation of the remainder of Space Force Service Components and accelerate implementation of the Space Force Generation model.

Develop Capabilities

• Create a Department of the Air Force Integrated Capabilities Office to lead capability development and resource prioritization to drive Department of the Air Force modernization investments.

• Combine disparate efforts to create the Office of Competitive Activities to oversee and coordinate sensitive activities.

• Create a Program Assessment and Evaluation Office to foster structure and incorporate a more strategic and analytically based approach to resourcing decisions. 

• Establish Integrated Capabilities Command to develop competitive operational concepts, integrated requirements, and prioritized modernization plans to align with force design.

• Create a new Information Dominance Systems Center within Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC) to strengthen and elevate the Air Force’s focus on Command, Control, Communications, and Battle Management; Cyber; Electronic Warfare; Information Systems; and Enterprise Digital Infrastructure.  

• Strengthen the support to nuclear forces by expanding the Nuclear Weapons Center to become the Air Force Nuclear Systems Center within AFMC. This will provide comprehensive materiel support to the nuclear enterprise; establish a 2-star general officer as the Program Executive Officer for Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles.

• Refocus the Life Cycle Management Center within AFMC as the Air Dominance Systems Center to synchronize aircraft and weapons competitive development and product support. 

• Establish an Integration Development Office within AFMC to provide technology assessments and roadmaps. It will drive alignment and integration of mission systems across centers and provide technical expertise to assess operational concept feasibility.

• Create Space Futures Command, a new field command, that develops and validates concepts, conducts experimentation and wargames, and performs mission area design.

More information can be found here.

Source: United States Air Force

SAN ANTONIO (AFNS) —  

The U.S. Air Force celebrated the life and lasting contributions of fifth Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Robert D. Gaylor at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland and the Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, Feb. 10.

The morning featured a memorial service held at JBSA-Lackland’s Gateway Chapel and included guest speakers: 19th Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force JoAnne S. Bass, 12th Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Eric Benken, and retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Ken Gaylor, CMSAF Gaylor’s son. Retired Chaplain (Brig. Gen.) Bob Page officiated both ceremonies.

“Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Gaylor served our Airmen and our Air Force for over 75 years,” Bass said. “He wore this uniform for 31 and continued for another 44, no doubt still feeling like a kid at Christmas. Our Air Force is better because of CMSAF Bob Gaylor. He is a national treasure; he is a legend; he is an American Airman, and his legacy will live on in all of us.”

Following the memorial service, the family escorted Gaylor to his final resting place at the Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery. The U.S. Air Force Honor Guard rendered full military honors, while the U.S. Air Force Band of the West ceremonial ensemble played “Taps” and “The Air Force Hymn.” The ceremony concluded with a three-ship T-38 Talon flyover in the missing-man formation and a presentation of the American flag to Gaylor’s family.

Gaylor leaves a legacy of military professional development through his contributions to the growth of the early noncommissioned officer academy. His direct efforts, both during and after his active duty service, aimed to improve the Air Force through further-developing its people.

Bass pointed out Gaylor’s strong reputation for professional military education development.

“The incredible character of Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Gaylor would make him the perfect fit to teach and develop a generation of Airmen,” Bass said.

After his retirement in 1979, Gaylor worked full-time and continued to offer speaking engagements for service members around the world.

“Hot fries, name on the mailbox, attitude, aptitude and opportunity,” Bass said. “Name another Airman you can identify with a single phrase or a collection of words that has left a lasting impact on the Air Force and our Airmen, both past and present. There is only one: Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Bob Gaylor, our beloved number five.”

Source: United States Air Force

JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii (AFNS) —  

Gen. Kevin B. Schneider took the reins as the new Pacific Air Forces commander during a change of command ceremony at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Feb. 9.

Schneider succeeds Gen. Ken Wilsbach, who commanded PACAF since July 2020 as the third-longest tenured commander in PACAF’s nearly 80-year history.

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David W. Allvin presided over the change of command, noting the command’s importance in the world today.

“We are committed to maintaining a free, open, and prosperous Indo-Pacific, but our pacing challenge consistently threatens regional interests, negatively impacting security, sovereignty, and prosperity,” Allvin said. “I know Gen. Schneider assumes command with his eyes wide open to this contrasting strategic approach and I know he will continue to propel the PACAF team forward to meet the challenges of the future.”

Schneider returns to the Indo-Pacific having spent 12 years of his nearly 36-year career in the region, most recently serving in theater as the U.S. Forces Japan and Fifth Air Force commander from February 2019 to August 2021.

“PACAF Airmen are on the front lines of our reoptimization efforts,” Allvin said. “Adding Gen. Schneider’s leadership and extensive experience in the Pacific will not only benefit them, but also our valued Allies and partners across the region.”

As the 37th COMPACAF, Schneider oversees 46,000 Airmen across the Indo-Pacific, serving principally in Japan, South Korea, Hawaii, Alaska and Guam. The region accounts for nearly 60% of global Gross Domestic Product, two-thirds of global economic growth, five of the world’s nuclear powers, and seven of the ten largest militaries.

“To the men and women of Pacific Air Forces – officers, enlisted, civilians – it is the honor of a lifetime to be part of this team once again,” Schneider said. “I am fortunate to have been assigned in the Pacific for a third of my career, and it feels like home to me.”

Schneider also shared his vision for PACAF Airmen, spread across nine major Air Force installations and three Numbered Air Forces, to continue integrating with Allies and partners.

“The actions we take to ensure stability and deter aggression in the face of multiple growing challenges will have far-reaching and long-lasting impacts,” Schneider said. “But we do not do this work alone. The allied and partner air forces we team with in the Indo-Pacific grow stronger and more capable each day.”

He additionally highlighted his priorities, which include caring for people, ensuring force readiness, and driving modernization, all of which are included in the PACAF 2030 strategy.

“This is a time of great consequence for the Air Force and the nation, and much is resting on the shoulders of PACAF Airmen,” Schneider said. “But I have absolute faith in the abilities of our Airmen to do the hard work, to solve the tough issues, and to continue to deter those who attempt to undermine peace and stability.”

The event was also attended by many distinguished guests including: the Honorable Kristyn Jones, Under Secretary of the Air Force, and her spouse, Mr. Harry Jones; Adm. John C. Aquilino, Commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, and his spouse, Ms. Laura Aquilino; Gen. Schneider’s spouse, Ms. Lori Schneider; Gen. Wilsbach’s spouse, Ms. Cindy Wilsbach; Chief Master Sgt. David R. Wolfe, outgoing PACAF command chief, and his spouse, Dr. Doniel Wolfe; and Chief Master Sgt. Kathleen McCool, the new PACAF command chief and her spouse, retired Chief Master Sgt. Christopher McCool.

Wilsbach departs the Pacific after devoting more than 20 years of leadership and service in the region. At the end of February, he will become the Air Combat Command commander at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia.

Aquilino expressed gratitude for Wilsbach’s dedication throughout his time in command.

“Gen. Wilsbach’s leadership over the past three years has set the stage for continued progress and successes for the air component in the Pacific,” Aquilino said. “With his focus on enhancing warfighting advantage, we’ve seen significant strides in ACE and maritime interdiction capabilities. Your leadership brought forth a lethal edge of our air domain that will deter future attacks.”

Wilsbach’s command was a storied one, having recently hosted the largest-ever Pacific Air Chiefs Symposium, which demonstrated the breadth and depth of relationships built between partner countries, developing the PACAF Strategy 2030, and expanding ACE capabilities.

“Having spent more than 20 years of my career in the Pacific supporting this mission, it’s been my true honor to serve as the PACAF commander,” Wilsbach said. “I am proud to pass my responsibilities to Gen. Schneider knowing he will continue to increase our joint and combined capabilities to deter aggression in the Pacific.”

Source: United States Air Force

FORT GEORGE G. MEADE, Md. (AFNS) —  

The 70th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing hosted Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall on Feb. 2 and Lt. Gen. Kevin Kennedy, 16th Air Force (Air Forces Cyber) commander, from Feb. 1-2 at Fort George G. Meade to learn about the wing’s cryptologic mission.

Headquartered at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, the 16th Air Force serves as the Air Force’s Information Warfare Numbered Air Force. Its mission is to converge capabilities to generate IW outcomes for combatant commanders and air components.

“Part of my daily rhythm is receiving an intelligence update on the many challenges and threats our Air Force and Space Force faces,” Kendall said. “These products deliver expert-level detail and analysis. Meeting the intelligence Airmen working behind the scenes is important to me as a leader.”

As America’s Cryptologic Wing, the 70th ISRW plays a vital role in aiding the Air Force’s IW NAF by providing commanders with knowledge to help make advantageous decisions and de-escalate potential conflicts. It conducts global ISR in air, space, and cyberspace and is comprised of 6,200 Total Force Airmen assigned to six groups, 23 squadrons and two detachments, spanning 28 locations worldwide.

The 70th ISRW predominantly works alongside National Security Agency professionals in support of national intelligence needs and builds partnerships across the intelligence community in support of Air Force and joint force requirements.

“What we accomplish in the 70th ISRW is tremendously important to the entire ISR enterprise and our mission to generate insights for the Joint Force and national leaders,” Kennedy said. “As one of the Air Force’s largest wings, the leadership of our Airmen who analyze and translate signals intelligence is critical to generating combat power and ensuring the joint force is postured to win during competition as well as win during a potential crisis or conflict.”

The senior leader visits began with Kennedy as he met with 70th ISRW leadership and toured a few of the wing’s facilities on the NSA campus such as the dining facility, fitness center and recently renovated living quarters.

The general also engaged with members of 32nd and 7th Intelligence Squadrons, discussing capabilities with Airmen who conduct real-time SIGINT and cybersecurity missions across the globe.

“This is an amazing opportunity to highlight how we synchronize as a global wing along with our mission partners to ensure our Airmen are part of a highly effective, resilient team that is ready to win any fight, anytime,” said Col. Celina Noyes, 70th ISRW commander.

Kennedy capped off the first day with a mentorship lunch for field- and company-grade officers. He shared personal experiences learned throughout his career and answered questions about leadership and optimization of the work force.

“As leaders, you have to find the best way to lead your team in focusing on the key priorities that have the greatest mission impact,” Kennedy said. “I greatly appreciate what you’re doing to lead our Air Force. Your responsibility is to take care of the Airmen so that they can take care of the mission. You need to ensure they are trained, ready, and empowered.”

On the second day, Kennedy joined Kendall along with other senior leaders at the 70th ISRW headquarters where they received briefings on programs and capabilities employed by the wing, such as cyber threat and vulnerability interdiction, Over-the-Horizon Targeting and Publicly Available Information.

Through these efforts, the 70th ISRW pushes the cryptologic mission forward, securing national security systems and critical infrastructure to generate deep insights into foreign adversaries and prevail in an era of great power competition.

The leaders also recognized a few Airmen for their contributions in supporting the mission.

“Our one team, and the entire joint force, relies on you,” Kendall said. “Your analysis, products, and persistence are our advantage—they inform better decisions and allow us to better anticipate what seems unpredictable. More importantly, this visit makes it clear, our intelligence professionals constantly seek to hone their skills. Thank you for all that you do, making sense of a turbulent world is no small task.”

The senior leader visits concluded as they transitioned to U.S. Cyber Command and NSA for a change of command ceremony.