Category: Defence Intelligence

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Academy cadet earns national undergraduate leadership award

Source: United States Air Force

U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. (AFNS) —  

U.S. Air Force Academy Cadet 1st Class Jabari Bowen was presented the Black Engineer of the Year award in undergraduate leadership during a gala held in Baltimore, Maryland Feb. 17.

Cyber leader
Majoring in electrical and computer engineering and cyber science, Bowen is scheduled to graduate in May of this year. He has long been interested in digital technology, but it was only upon coming to the Academy and serving as a summer cyber instructor that he developed a passion for leadership as well.

The summer course guides cadets through basic cyber skills, conducting simulated missions, planning, debriefing and mission analysis.

“I enjoyed inspiring them to be interested in cyber, especially if they weren’t interested to start,” Bowen said. “That was pretty fun and something I think is unique to the Academy.”

Nominated by his department

Bowen attended the BEYA conference last year when his fellow cadet, now 2nd Lt. Sirri Akaya, won this same award. It was his first time hearing of the program and never considered he might be nominated.

“I didn’t think I was going to win, honestly,” Bowen laughed. “That’s one of those things where you just put your name in the hat and see what happens.”

His department, however, didn’t have any reservations.

“He is an outstanding leader and technical expert in our department and absolutely well-deserving of this recognition,” said Lt. Col. Juan Jurado, U.S. Air Force Academy assistant professor and deputy head of the electrical and computer engineering department.

Bowen has been selected to serve as an electrical/electronic engineer upon commissioning as a second lieutenant. Following two internships with the National Reconnaissance Office, Jabari hopes to work with the NRO in the future, contributing to satellite operations and safeguarding critical technologies.

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Honoring past heroes by celebrating today’s warrior spirit

Source: United States Air Force

WASHINGTON (AFNS) —  

This February, Department of the Defense employees toured a special display recognizing the excellence of past aviators, the Fighter Gunnery Trophy.

Won by members of the 332nd Fighter Group in 1949, the trophy is on loan from the National Museum of the United States Air Force in recognition of African American/Black History Month.

Bruce Jones, strategic initiatives program integrator for the Installation Planning Branch of the Air Force Civil Engineers, learned of the Fighter Gunnery Trophy and wanted to bring it to the Pentagon. His hope was that more people would learn the story of those who earned the propeller group class of the first aerial performance competition in 1949.

“I have been helping to correct and commemorate the history of the Tuskegee Airmen for the last few years,” Jones said. “Through my work with the Air Force historians … I was able to connect with the Air Force Museum and develop a plan to bring the trophy here to [Washington] D.C.”

The trophy has been placed in a prominent, temporary display within the “African Americans in Defense of our Nation” corridor of the Pentagon through March 6. The corridor received a major redesign and upgrade to help educate visitors and DoD employees about the value brought by diverse American heroes.

In addition to highlighting the many achievements of the Tuskegee Airmen, David Bragg, deputy director of the Field Heritage Program, was responsible for bringing to light other unsung heroes. Two that he mentioned were Maj. Gen. Marcelite Harris, the first African American female general officer in the Air Force, who broke several barriers as she worked her way up the maintenance officer ranks, and Maj. Gen. Lucius Theus, who was asked by the Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird in 1970 to chair the interservice task force on Education in Race Relations at a time when racial tensions were high.

“When I joined the Air Force in the early 1970s, I immediately experienced some of the training that came from General Theus’ team designed to mitigate racial tensions in the service at that time when there were actually race riots happening at military installations,” Bragg said. “I’m not saying that they cured all problems, but what he did was a positive starting point.”

Other heroes that Bragg highlighted when working on the corridor upgrade included:

  • (At the time) Maj. Christina Hopper – Was selected to fly the F-16 in 2000, becoming one of only two African American females and 50 total female fighter pilots in the Air Force at the time. Following the events of Sept. 11, 2001, she flew numerous combat air patrol missions in support of Operation Noble Eagle and then deployed to Kuwait supporting Operations Southern Watch and Iraqi Freedom, where she flew more than 50 combat missions. Hopper’s aircraft was struck by lightning during one of those mission, but her formation continued to the target, and her bombs accurately hit their mark, causing the adversary Iraqi Army to retreat from the fight. She earned her fourth Air Medal, the Aerial Achievement Medal, and the Combat Action medal for her service in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
     
  • Master Sgt. Delorean Sheridan – This Air Force combat controller was awarded the Silver Star for his actions in March 2013 when, after a coordinated attack against his Army Special Forces team, he neutralized the shooter, moved his injured and deceased teammates to an extraction point, and called in six medevac flights, ultimately being credited with saving 23 critically wounded personnel.
     
  • Maj. LeRoy W. Homer, Jr. – A U.S. Air Force Academy graduate and C-141 pilot, Homer served in operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm and received commendations for flying humanitarian operations in Somalia. On Sept. 11, 2001, Homer was the first officer for United Airlines Flight No. 93, and based on several sources available regarding the fate of Flight No. 93, the two pilots were the first to fight against the terrorist threat, and along with the crew and passengers, ultimately saved Washington, D.C., from the threat.

“As a veteran who also works as a federal civilian, there is so much history here in the building that many of us rarely take time to stop and recognize,” said Jacqueline Shelton, U.S. Strategic Command Washington Liaison Office executive officer. “By coming together with fellow Pentagon members, we got the opportunity to learn together and honor the stories of others.”

Shelton and Jones both expressed a desire to share the history of those who have come before to inspire future heroes to serve.

“Servicemembers and civilians who work tirelessly at the Pentagon to help improve the Department of the Air Force and the Department of Defense so that the nation can meet its pacing challenge,” Shelton said. “I believe they are all examples of living history makers.”

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DAF publishes revised dress, personal appearance instruction

Source: United States Air Force

ARLINGTON, Va. (AFNS) —  

The Department of the Air Force republished its dress and personal appearance instruction to simplify, clarify and amplify many changes for Airmen and Guardians serving world-wide.

The revised DAFI 36-2903, Dress and Personal Appearance of Department of the Air Force Personnel, incorporates policy changes from the 102nd Air Force Uniform Board, incorporates all other guidance memorandums and features updated graphics for visual clarity.

“We’ve reviewed the policy in whole to make certain we are communicating standards clearly, making it an easier tool for commanders, supervisors, Airmen and Guardians,” said Lt. Gen. Caroline Miller, deputy chief of staff for Manpower, Personnel and Services. “Revisions were made over a number of years, but we felt the need to revisit the entire document to remove redundancies, out-of-date information and decrease subjectivity.”

The updated policy outlines:

• Religious Accommodation Process
• No-hat, No-salute areas
• Specialized nametag wear for DAF and Joint Chiefs support staff
• Two-piece flight duty uniform
• Bags, to include gym bag, backpack, handbags
• Flight duty uniform policy
• Female wear of mess dress trousers or slacks
• Wear of caps for baldness or hair loss due to medical conditions
• Permanent wear of EPME badge
• Security Forces shield on the OCP uniform
• Beverage consumption while walking in uniform
• Wear of cold weather headbands
• Authorized wear of commercial maternity cold weather outerwear
• Wing commander delegation to approve religious regalia
• Organizational emblems on the back of morale shirt
• Heritage morale patches on the flight duty uniform

It also highlights authorized and unauthorized examples of grooming standards for:

• Tattoo/brands/body markings
• Mustache wear
• Male and female hair standards
• Female nail polish colors and other cosmetics

It also clarifies duty badge guidance, explaining the wear and placement of up to three duty badges on male and female service, semi-formal, formal and mess dress uniforms. Lastly, it clarifies sister service/joint unit patch wear, and provides graduate patch criteria.

“When it comes to standards, our Airmen need the best guidance we can offer,” said Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force JoAnne S. Bass. “These changes and updates to the publication are meant to clarify professional military appearance and uniform standards across the Air Force and empower all Airmen to hold themselves, and others accountable. Part of being a Profession of Arms is embodying the higher set of standards that comes with serving our great nation. Accountability matters. Standards matter — and the ones we walk by, the ones we ignore, are the ones we accept.”

The updated DAFI 36-2903 can be found here.

U.S. Space Force Guardians must adhere to DAFI 36-2903 in conjunction with the Guardian-specific SPFGM2023-36-01.

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NMRC Attends Sargent Shriver Elementary Career Day

Source: United States Navy (Medical)

SILVER SPRING, Md. – Sailors and staff from Naval Medical Research Command (NMRC) visited Sargent Shriver Elementary School on Feb. 23 to speak with students during the school’s annual Career Day event.

Lt. Rafae Khan, a physician, and Jennetta Green, a Navy civilian researcher, spent the day answering questions, discussing careers within Navy Medicine and research, and demonstrating laboratory equipment with 3rd, 4th and 5th graders. Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Alejandra Ramirez Alarcon was also in attendance to answer student questions about working for the Navy.

“NMRC’s participation in community outreach bridges a gap for people who don’t know anyone in military medical research,” Khan observed, “and it helps increase the scientific curiosity among children at an early age.”

NMRC, along with other occupational representatives, set up tables and interactive exhibits in the Shriver Elementary gymnasium. NMRC’s table included diagnostic strips and a prop biocontainment unit filled with activities that students could perform through the unit’s built-in gloves, simulating the experience of scientist handling biological samples. Students were able to get information from NMRC experts on the real-world applications of these tools.

“It’s impactful to have these one-on-one interactions with the kids,” said Green. “They are genuinely excited for the chance to speak with us, and they’re able to ask questions and participate in the science activities we bring for them. These interactions can become core memories and inspire them down the line to become scientists. Hopefully for NMRC, of course!”

“Career day is an opportunity to expose our students to the larger world,” added Nancy Teague, a school counselor at Shriver Elementary. “It helps them understand why they are in school, and the different goals they can work towards. We bring in folks from inside and outside the community, so the kids can network, and practice soft skills like introducing themselves and speaking with other people about careers.”

NMRC Sailors and researchers were able to discuss a wide range of topics related to their work with students and teachers. Shriver Elementary’s Spanish-speaking students were also able to engage with the NMRC attendees in their first language.

“This opportunity has allowed me to share my experiences as a Sailor and a corpsman,” Ramirez commented. “Engaging with Spanish-speaking kids made this even more special, as they were eager to learn about the Navy, and I was able to answer all their questions.”

Shriver Elementary, located a few miles from NMRC’s headquarters, is named after Sargent Shriver, a World War II Navy Veteran who was instrumental in the creation of the Peace Corps, and who helped spearhead Head Start, VISTA, Foster Grandparents, Legal Services, the Job Corps and the Special Olympics.

In support of the Navy, Marine Corps, and joint U.S. warfighters, NMRC researchers study infectious diseases, biological warfare detection and defense, combat casualty care, environmental health concerns, aerospace and undersea medicine, medical modeling, simulation, operational mission support, epidemiology and behavioral sciences.

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JFHQ-DODIN to officially launch its new Cyber Operational Readiness Assessment Program March 1st

Source: United States Department of Defense Information Network

FORT GEORGE G. MEADE, Md.  –   Following a successful nine-month pilot, Joint Force Headquarters – Department of Defense Information Network (JFHQ-DODIN) will officially launch its Cyber Operational Readiness Assessment program March 1.

Over the past four years, JFHQ-DODIN has made significant changes to the Department of Defense Command Cyber Readiness Inspection (CCRI) program, transforming from an inspection compliance mindset to an operational readiness mindset underpinning mission assurance. To enunciate this significant shift, the program has been renamed to the Cyber Operational Readiness Assessment (CORA).

According to Lt. Gen. Robert Skinner, commander of JFHQ-DODIN, CORA is one of the most critical components of the DoD’s cyber security strategy and lays a strong cornerstone to support the command’s goal of continuous holistic assessments. The new processes help strengthen the posture and resiliency of the Department of Defense Information Network (DODIN) by supporting DODIN Areas of Operation (DAO) commanders and directors in efforts to harden their information systems, reduce the attack surface of their cyber terrain, and enhance a more proactive defense. These are the foundational cybersecurity principles measured by the CORA program.

“CORA is a vital aspect of continually understanding our cyber readiness through fusing many risk factors including access control, detecting anomalies, adjusting to adversary threat information, and executing cyber orders,” Skinner said. “Ultimately, the assessment provides commanders and directors a more precise understanding of their high-priority cyber terrain and their overall cyber security and defensive posture enabling greater command and control and enhancing decision making.”

John Porter, JFHQ-DODIN’s acting director of DODIN Readiness and Security Inspections directorate, said “CORA represents a consolidated look at threat, vulnerability, and impact designed to give DAO commanders and directors relevant information for making decisions about cyber terrain, forces, and other resources”.

“CORA prioritizes MITRE ATT&CK mitigations to minimize adversarial risk to the Department of Defense Information Networks (DODIN) through JFHQ-DODIN’s risk-based metrics. The command created risk-based metrics after analyzing MITRE ATT&CK tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) for initial access, persistence, privilege escalation, lateral movement, and exfiltration,” Porter said.

MITRE ATT&CK is a knowledge base of adversarial TTPs utilized by cyber defenders world-wide to protect and defend information systems and networks and hunt malicious actors.

Porter said “the JFHQ-DODIN CORA team developed key indicators of risk from the risk-based metrics to ensure alignment with JFHQ-DODIN cybersecurity priorities and to direct focus onto the most critical areas of remediation.”  This, in turn, allows organizations to focus their mitigation efforts on risk and exposure to common adversarial TTPs. “Focusing on these essential remediation points allows DoD Components to concentrate limited resources and staffing on correcting high-risk areas,” Porter said. JFHQ-DODIN risk-based metrics and CORA key indicators of risk are adjusted as the MITRE ATT&CK TTPs and mitigations priorities shift, enabling the CORA program to keep pace with the rapidly changing cyber domain.

In addition to the key indicators of risk, Porter said “CORA is hyper-focused on securing the boundary.” The boundary consists of network perimeter devices, public and DoD facing assets servicing the public or external DoD components and any information systems with a direct interface to an external information system. The boundary reviews measure the cyber-hardening risk of information systems exposed to the public internet and the possibility that the malicious activity could spread to other DoD Components if an information system is compromised.

The Cyber Operational Readiness Assessment has become a more agile process encouraging and enabling adjustments in strides. The assessment can be adjusted as new orders, policies or directives are issued, add new assessed technology if Security Technical Implementation Guides exist, and adjust key risk indicators as the threat landscape changes.

The program will help ensure a strong cybersecurity foundation for all DoD networks. It will help DAO commanders and directors better understand the status of their high-priority terrain and their overall cyber security readiness and defensive posture and provide them with relevant information for making decisions about terrain, forces, and other resources. At the same time, it will provide the USCYBERCOM and JFHQ-DODIN commanders a greater understanding of level of risk to the DODIN. CORA is crucial for validating current, future, and emerging technologies that will help the DOD continuously monitor and assess terrain to assess and mitigate risk across the DODIN.

Joint Force Headquarters – Department of Defense information Network is the U.S. Cyber Command component that leads DoD’s unified force approach to network operations, security, and defense across the Department of Defense Information Network, commonly known as the DODIN. This global command and control responsibility underpinning all DoD missions works to ensure mission assurance and bolster DoD’s competitive advantage. The Command’s mission covers a broad range of activities on behalf of U.S. Cyber Command including proactive, threat-informed steps to reduce cyber risk across the DODIN, and leading response to attacks against the DODIN to ensure network operations remain agile and resilient. Lt. Gen. Robert J. Skinner is dual-hatted as the commander of JFHQ-DODIN and the director of the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA).

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Marine Aircraft Group 12 concludes Cope North 24

Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam  –  

Marines with Marine Aircraft Group 12, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, completed Cope North 24, a three-week-long multinational aviation training exercise, alongside joint, partner, and allied forces in Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands from Feb 2 to 23, 2024.

During the exercise, which involved forces from Australia, Japan, France, South Korea, and Canada, Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 232 accumulated over 280 flight hours and 140 sorties across multiple islands in the Marianas. The unit also practiced the U.S. Air Forces’ Agile Combat Employment (ACE) concept as a coalition force as well as the Marine Corps’ Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations (EABO) unilaterally.

“There will always be challenges working with coalition militaries and different standard operating procedures that each military has. It’s an excellent opportunity for us to come out here, work together, exercise together, and draw from the differences and similarities to achieve our common goals,” said Flight Lieutenant Thomas Rogers, an officer with 383rd Contingency Response, Royal Australian Air Force.

The Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations (EABO) concept aims to perform aviation operations in austere environments through low signature generating methods. During the exercise, a KC-130J Super Hercules aircraft with Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 152 transported a small package of Marines and refueling equipment from Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan to Guam, located over 1,600 miles away, to provide immediate refueling capabilities to F/A-18 Hornet aircraft.

“The concept of EABO allows us to accomplish our mission in providing fueling support for any aircraft, in this iteration an F/A-18, in any location. So, wherever an aircraft can land and drop off our equipment and personnel, we can then set up and conduct refueling operations,” said 2nd Lt. William Peterson, a logistics officer with Marine Wing Support Squadron 171.

Approximately 2400 service members and 85 aircraft participated in Cope North 24 and expended over 30,000 pounds of ordnance. Initially established in 1978 as a bilateral exercise based out of Misawa Air Base, Japan, Cope North moved to Andersen Air Force Base in 1999. In 2012, it became a trilateral exercise with the addition of the Royal Australian Air Force and is currently U.S. Pacific Air Forces’ largest multilateral exercise series.

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Department of Defense completes Underway Recovery Test 11 with NASA

Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

PACIFIC OCEAN  –  

NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems Landing and Recovery team and the Department of Defense successfully completed the second recovery test for the crewed Artemis II mission aboard the amphibious transport dock USS San Diego (LPD 22) off the coast of San Diego, Feb. 28.

Underway Recovery Test 11 was the eleventh in a series of tests and the first time the Department of Defense and NASA completed a full recovery simulation with the Artemis II Flight Crew.

“The U.S. Navy has many unique capabilities that make it an ideal partner to support NASA. Amphibious transport dock ships, such as ours, give NASA the ability to recover the capsule and collect critical data to help make sure everything is ready to recover the astronauts and capsule during future Artemis missions,” said Capt. David Walton, commanding officer of USS San Diego. “Our combined NASA and Department of Defense team has gone through extensive training to make sure we recover our astronauts and Orion safely.”

Underway Recovery Test 11 allowed NASA and the Department of Defense to practice operational procedures for Artemis II, including timing of crew extraction from the capsule to the ship’s medical bay and day-and-night recovery procedures to support certification of personnel and processes for Artemis II mission.

Artemis II astronauts U.S. Navy Capt. Reid Wiseman, U.S. Navy Capt. Victor Glover, Christina Hammock Koch, and Jeremy Hansen embarked the ship for Underway Recovery Test 11.

“This crew is really setting the foundation for the whole operation — all other forces are welcomed onboard and we operate as a team, but it’s really the culture of the ship that leads to the success of this mission,” said Wiseman. “Being back on a Navy ship, being at sea, seeing everyone smiling, it has been a real highlight for me.”

Working in support of U.S. Space Command, additional U.S. Navy units included Expeditionary Strike Group 3, Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 23, Explosive Ordnance Disposal Expeditionary Mobile Unit 1, and Amphibious Construction Battalion 1, with support from U.S. Air Force’s First Air Force, Detachment 3, and U.S. Space Force’s 45th Space Launch Delta Weather Squadron.

After the 2022 successful recovery of the Orion spacecraft from the Artemis I mission using the amphibious transport dock USS Portland (LPD 27), and with the addition of crew for the Artemis II mission, the recovery teams modified their timelines and procedures to ensure the astronauts will be safely on the recovery ship within two hours after splashing down in the Pacific Ocean.

Once the crew splashes down, a group of Navy divers will approach Orion and ensure it is safe for the astronauts to exit the spacecraft. The divers will then open the spacecraft hatch and help the astronauts exit one by one onto an inflatable “front porch.” This raft wraps around the capsule and allows for the crew to be picked up via helicopter and flown back to the recovery ship. Once the astronauts are on board the recovery ship, teams will secure Orion with a series of lines and slowly tow it back inside the ship, just as they did during the Artemis I mission.

During the test, the team practiced the Artemis II recovery procedures, releasing and recovering the crew module test article, a full-scale mock-up of Orion.

Prior to Underway Recovery Test 11, Navy dive teams were trained at NASA Johnson Space Center’s Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory, a large pool where astronauts train for spacewalks and engineers refine procedures.

“Each time we train for this underway recovery we learn something new,” said Senior Chief Navy Diver Ryan Crider, who leads the team of divers assigned to Underway Recovery Test 11. “For my team, practicing our procedures in different conditions and environments helps to build our confidence and proficiency and prepares us to be successful when it matters most.”

The recovery team will capture lessons learned and apply them to future underway tests to make sure they are ready to recover the Artemis II crew and bring them home safely.

“Previous Underway Recovery Tests have perfected the procedures and techniques used by NASA and the DoD to recover the Orion crew module from the water,” said Lt. Col. Kevin Pieper, First Air Force, Detachment 3 Artemis Program director. “Underway Recovery Test 11 made the next key step by incorporating the Artemis II crew into the operation to finalize the methods that will safely recover the astronauts following their mission to the moon.”

As the Department of Defense’s Human Space Flight Support manager, U.S. Space Command is responsible for the terrestrial rescue and recovery of NASA-sponsored astronauts and spacecraft for the Artemis program.

“The DoD has been conducting human space flight support operations for over six decades with each new mission presenting new challenges to overcome,” said Pieper. “This underway recovery test emphasizes the vital relationships between NASA, U.S. Space Command, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, U.S. Navy, and Air Forces Space, all of whom play an important role in advancing spaceflight in the 21st Century and laying the foundation for future human exploration of the moon, Mars, and beyond.”

Expeditionary Strike Group 3 comprises three amphibious squadrons, 16 amphibious warships, and eight naval support elements including approximately 18,000 active-duty and reserve Sailors and Marines. As the deputy commander for amphibious and littoral warfare, U.S. 3rd Fleet, the Expeditionary Strike Group 3 commander also oversees Mine Countermeasures Group 3 and the 16 littoral combat ships under Littoral Combat Ship Squadrons 1 and 3.

Expeditionary Strike Group 3 is postured in support of U.S. 3rd Fleet as a globally responsive and scalable naval command element, capable of generating, deploying, and employing naval forces and formations for crisis and contingency response, forward presence, and major combat operations focusing on amphibious operations, humanitarian and disaster relief and support to defense civil authorities, and expeditionary logistics.

For more information on Underway Recovery Test 11, please visit:

https://www.dvidshub.net/feature/URT11

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Japanese Special Boat Unit, U.S. Naval Special Warfare Unit Conduct Joint Training Exercise

Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

OKINAWA, Japan  –  

A West Coast-based U.S. Naval Special Warfare unit integrated with a Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF) Special Boat Unit (SBU) to conduct joint training on navigation, communications, radar, and more from Feb. 15-17, 2024 at Naval Base White Beach in Okinawa, Japan.

The joint training was designed to further modernize the partnership between U.S. forces and Japan, as well as strengthen joint capabilities and security strategies in the Indo-Pacific region.

“Working hand-in-hand with our partners in the JMSDF SBU offers us the opportunity to learn together and grow both as separate units, and as allied partners,” said a West Coast-based Naval Special Warfare operator who participated in the exercise. “Building on our existing relationship offers us all the opportunity to continue to expand our joint knowledge.”

The training, which included classroom instruction and practical application, focused heavily on small-unit skills such as mission planning, navigation and communications. The event culminated with an on-the-water exchange of tactics among the partner forces.

For more than six decades, the U.S.-Japan alliance has served as a cornerstone for peace, security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region. High quality, realistic training exchanges such as this help to further synchronize special operations capabilities among partners and allies.

Naval Special Warfare is the nation’s elite maritime special operations force, uniquely positioned to extend the Fleet’s reach and gain and maintain access for the Joint Force in competition and conflict.

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Airman Development Command announced, supporting sweeping changes to maintain superiority amid Great Power Competition

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.

“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,” Kendall said. “We are going to turn this enterprise and point it directly at our biggest threat (China).”

Among the 24 key decisions Kendall announced was the decision to redesignate Air Education and Training Command as Airman Development Command (ADC). The ADC’s goal, true to name, will be to become the service’s enterprise-wide integrator for Airman development, training and education as part of the Department of the Air Force’s efforts to reoptimize for Great Power Competition.

The ADC redesignation will pave the way for an expanded, people-focused footprint that will help the Air Force posture to rapidly adapt training programs and curriculum, produce mission ready Airmen at an accelerated rate, and develop human capital in a holistic manner conducive to retaining talent.

The consolidation and realignment will give ADC the authority to develop Airmen from the beginning to the end of their service in the Air Force. Ultimately, the reoptimization provides ADC the agility to rapidly shift accessions and training priorities and weights of effort to deliberately develop Airmen at the speed of need.  

“The Airmen and Guardians we are developing right now will decide the outcome of this Great Power Competition, and if necessary, the next fight. There is no time to lose,” said Lt. Gen. Brian S. Robinson, commander of AETC. “We will continue to execute the core functions of AETC while simultaneously ‘following through’ by building organizational efficiencies across the Air Force.”

Allvin will establish an implementation team to execute follow-on analysis and develop an implementation plan for the execution of the Air Force-wide reoptimization.

“The Air Force has a rich history of successfully reckoning with transformational change. Since its inception in 1947, it has consistently evolved by reorienting and “reoptimizing” itself to align with dynamically changing demands at key inflection points,” Allvin said in a letter to the force, The Case for Change. “Today, a new key inflection point is upon us. We cannot afford to be complacent, holding on to outdated structures. The Air Force built for the previous era is no longer optimized for the current strategic landscape.”

Kendall’s directive to reoptimize for GPC is a major initiative that includes a comprehensive look at all aspects of how the Department of the Air Force organizes, trains, and equips the Air Force and Space Force.

“We owe it to our men and women in uniform to be as ready as we can be,” Kendall said. “We’re in a sprint to get better, but we’re also in a marathon to stay the most competitive over time.”

Representatives from AETC, Air Force Personnel Center, Headquarters Air Force, and select major commands met for a tabletop exercise at Maxwell AFB, Alabama, to analyze the authorities, responsibilities and organizational structure required to optimize the Air Force’s ability to develop Airmen.

Lead representatives at the exercise determined the creation of an ADC with the requisite authorities, and responsibilities will strengthen the required attributes to develop Airmen.

“Quite frankly, we haven’t seen change like this since the early 1990s,” Robinson said. “Just like then, today we are taking the initiative. To maintain the asymmetrical advantage, we must develop the right mix of Airmen and Guardians with the skills and competencies needed for high-end systems-of-systems combat roles and to ensure technical superiority. These changes help us streamline institutional force development responsibilities under one command, significantly improving the Air Force’s ability to produce and retain mission ready Airmen for competition and conflict.”

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Allvin adds detail, texture to plans for reoptimizing the Air Force

Source: United States Air Force

WASHINGTON (AFNS) —  

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin offered a forceful – and deeper – explanation for plans to reshape and “reoptimize” the service and for why it’s necessary during an appearance Feb. 28 at the Brookings Institution.

“The strategic environment compels us to do this. Otherwise, we find ourselves in a situation next year, then the year after, and the year after that, where we fall further behind,” he said.

Allvin’s session at the influential think tank was his first since becoming the Air Force’s highest ranking military officer and two weeks since the service’s leadership unveiled a broad and ambitious plan to reconfigure the Air Force and Space Force to better confront China.

“We assessed that we are really optimized for an era that has bypassed us,” Allvin told the Brookings audience. “There are still threats from around the world but the pacing threat, the one that could have an existential impact to our nation and our way of life, is one we need to get after.

“When we look at the environment we find ourselves in, we say ‘Ok, if we’re going to build the U.S. Air Force from scratch, what are the attributes you’d want in that air force?”

The changes, grouped under four broad categories – Develop People, Generate Readiness, Project Power, and Develop Capabilities – are designed to make the services more modern, more integrated, more agile, and more likely to adapt as needed to new threats without delay.

That means, Allvin said, putting the changes in place as quickly as possible even if it means questions are not fully answered and every possibility understood.

“It may be unsatisfying to some because we are rolling this out without having a national, signed official document stating what everything will look like,” he said. “But I do believe that is something we need to embrace as an institution — as a government — to be able to solve for agility. Don’t confuse precision … with accuracy.

“If you know you’re headed in the right direction and adjust along the way, you get to a better destination,” he said.

Like other senior leaders, especially Department of the Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, Allvin agreed that there is an urgency surrounding putting in place the most substantial change in the recent history of the force and that action must be taken without delay.

“We feel very confident in the general direction. But we don’t have the final answers and that’s ok. We feel very confident in the direction we’re going,” he said.

Allvin said the changes are designed to ensure the Air Force has an integrated organization, adaptability, and agility and that it can, “seize new technologies rather than contemplate them as they go by,” he said.

“You want a mission over function focus to understand what’s the best for a true, single air force design. That’s how we came up with these four areas for how we want our Air Force reoptimized,” he said.

Allvin noted that the changes are for the most part “budget neutral” so they can be designed and put into action without delay.

That reality reflects concerns by Allvin and other senior leaders that budget delays and disruptions by Congress are worrisome.

“The one thing we really lose is time and our ability to be able to spend our precious resources on things that we depend on in order to keep pace,” Allvin said in response to a specific question about delayed and uncertain budgets.

Despite unanimous agreement among Kendall, Allvin and other senior leaders for the changes and ambitious pace of change, unexpected events are unavoidable.

Allvin experienced that firsthand during his session at Brookings when demonstrators repeatedly interrupted his remarks protesting U.S. policy in Gaza. In several cases they mentioned by name the active-duty Airman Aaron Bushnell who set himself on fire at the Israel embassy in Washington and later died.

Allvin ignored the demonstrators as they were removed but later, in response to a question, called Bushnell’s death “a tragedy” and stated, “we lost one of ours,” while noting the incident is under investigation.