WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio — In an effort to make certain the Air Force Materiel Command is ideally structured and resourced to support the National Defense Strategy, AFMC leadership has launched an enterprise-wide initiative that will empower its Airmen and civilians to help shape the future of the command.
“This command’s work is vital to the execution of the National Defense Strategy. AFMC has built the most powerful Air Force in the world and our nation is depending on us to acquire, field and sustain the capabilities the Air Force needs to secure our nation’s future,” said Gen. Arnold W. Bunch Jr., AFMC commander. “To provide technology at the speed of relevance to counter adversarial threats and to sustain our service’s lethality, we need to make sure our organization is strategically organized, structured and resourced to execute our critical missions for the nation.”
The command-wide activity will seek the inputs of military and civilian Airmen across the headquarters and center footprints to recommend changes to posture the command for mission success in the decades to come.
“We are developing a 21st Century AFMC that is able to anticipate warfighter needs and leverages innovation to advance technology and deliver capabilities at the speed we need to remain ahead of our adversaries,” said Bunch. “Our work supports every Air Force mission, and it’s our responsibility to build the most lethal and ready Air Force.”
The wide-reaching initiative will study command processes, resources, and command and control structure. Specifically, the objectives under review are:
Unity of command and effort, including major command and program office structure and authorities
Command processes and the ability to support aging weapon systems
Internal structure and organization
Agility to adapt to provide rapid capabilities and logistics for the future
Alignment among multiple emerging initiatives and strategies
Ability to anticipate needs and lead solutions
The three-phase effort runs from June 24 through mid-August. A core team from AFMC headquarters is guiding the effort, augmented by personnel at all AFMC operating locations. Maj. Gen. Carl Schaefer, AFMC Deputy Commander, leads the initiative on behalf of AFMC leadership. Col. Pat McDonnell, AFMC National Guard advisor, is the operational team lead and Yancy Mailes, director, AFMC History and Museums Program, is managing the task force team activities. An independent contractor is supporting the internal team as well.
The entire AFMC workforce has the opportunity to participate in the initiative. Select individuals at each AFMC location will participate in live interviews and focus groups with the AFMC core team. All AFMC personnel will have the opportunity to share feedback and suggestions through an online survey and the AFMC website.
Collected feedback will be non-attributional and anonymity preserved to encourage full participation and candidness of submissions. The data gathered will be reviewed in conjunction with insights and best practices from industry to recommend courses of action for the AFMC future.
“This is not a manpower cut or climate survey,” said Bunch. “Rather, this is an opportunity for us as a command to identify those practices that work and those that are preventing us from being the agile and responsive AFMC our Air Force needs.”
Over the next few months, AFMC personnel should look for opportunities to participate in the initiative. Study updates will be communicated on the AFMC We Need webpage and through email, social media, and the AF Connect mobile application.
“We need everyone’s participation,” said Bunch. “This is an opportunity to shape our workplace to lead the Air Force in innovation and inspire enthusiasm to enable new levels of mission success. The ‘AFMC We Need’ needs you.”
