Materiel Command's top civilian outlines goals

  • Published
  • By John Scaggs
  • Air Force Materiel Command Public Affairs
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio (AFNS) --  Air Force Materiel Command's top civilian here after just one month on the job is already working with the Pentagon and other agencies on establishing a clear civilian development model.

It is one of several priorities for Dr. Steve Butler, the AFMC executive director, and creating the model is tied to the makeup of AFMC. 

Civilians comprise more than 70 percent of the command's work force of 77,000 -- the highest percentage among all Air Force major commands -- and AFMC employs 40 percent of the total number of Air Force civilians.

Consequently, Dr. Butler said AFMC officials will lead the way in establishing civilian leadership roles and developing its people.

"Much of this will occur within the next year," Dr. Butler said. "I hope to create a commandwide process to encourage and enhance opportunities for civilians to gain broader experience at their home centers and make it easier for civilians to move to other geographic locations. We will continue to aggressively push for additional acquisition resources and training for our people."

As the civilian deputy to Gen. Bruce Carlson, the AFMC commander, Dr. Butler occupies a position equivalent to a lieutenant general. His role involves providing counsel on a variety of topics and dealing with union issues.

"For example, I advise General Carlson on acquisition issues relating to our mission to buy major weapon systems like the F-22 (Raptor) for the Air Force," Dr. Butler explained. "As an engineer, I advise him on science and engineering issues, to include how to recruit new scientists and engineers so the Air Force stays on the technical leading edge.

"Additionally, I lead the development of our civilian workforce and partner with the unions that represent our workers," he said. "I plan to meet with union leaders and continue the great work by my predecessor to value the contributions of our unions and to partner with them for success."

Dr. Butler said AFMC's leaders recognize the demands on civilian leadership and the need for more deliberate development of the civilian workforce.

"This 'blueing' of civilians is intended to give civilian leaders broader Air Force experiences so they can take on jobs only held by military officers in the past," Dr. Butler said. "The ability to choose from talented officers and civilians to lead units in our highly technical command is part of a bigger Air Force strategy. These shared leadership opportunities require senior civilians take part in professional military education and leadership roles in various organizations."

He said the "blueing" also will involve a cultural shift wherein civilians are willing to move and work in new areas, just like active-duty counterparts.

"For example, we want to get to a point where a scientist whose spent 11 years in the Air Force Research Laboratory is willing to try something different and, say, work in the Aeronautical Systems Center," Dr. Butler said. "Civilians must balance technical, business, acquisition, and leadership development -- just as our military officers have done for years. We must encourage and reward the right behavior among the civilians and make development opportunities available."

This evolution will help AFMC grow a more diverse group of joint and interagency civilians who will be able to work in different climates beyond their traditional roles. It ties in with one of Dr. Butler's other objectives -- improving internal integration across the lifecycle of AFMC products.

"Our labs will continue to work hand-in-hand with our product development centers which, in turn, will test products more efficiently through greater collaboration with the command's test centers," Dr. Butler said. "This will help us establish clear sustainment strategies that will build on lessons from our past.

"Additionally, we will work with other Air Force major commands to improve business processes across the Air Force," he said. "Not everyone outside of AFMC realizes the legal, political, and business constraints that cause our complex acquisitions. Our business requires more emphasis on technology, engineering development, business savvy, legal expertise, and acquisition credentials than an operational command. That's why it's important for AFMC to take on greater leadership roles in those areas and apply our technical, business, and financial expertise to transform our processes and improve the Air Force."

Given AFMC's work force, Dr. Butler also is monitoring the Defense Department's announcement Sept. 30 that DOD is moving forward with setting up a global expeditionary force for civilian employees.

Officials said that more than 16,000 DOD civilians have served in U.S. Central Command's area of operations since 2001. Civilians have served as engineers, logistics specialists, weapons inspectors, administrative specialists and on provincial reconstruction teams.

"It's important for us to understand that DOD is moving toward having civilians fill overseas positions normally filled by servicemembers," Dr. Butler said. "Jobs may range from providing aid to victims of natural disasters, to helping rebuild a nation's infrastructure. Through additional training and a willingness to take advantage of career opportunities, AFMC can help DOD develop a cadre of civilians who can respond to various overseas scenarios."

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