Permanent Global Logistics Support Centers stands up

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WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio (AFPN) --  A new, permanent headquarters overseeing Air Force global logistics support is now in operation at Scott Air Force Base, Ill.

General Bruce Carlson, commander of Air Force Materiel Command, formally stood up the Air Force Global Logistics Support Center in ceremonies March 28 at Scott AFB. He also gave command of the now-permanent unit to Colonel Brent H. Baker, Sr., who had been commander of the provisional center since May last year.

The new center staff and its commander, who reports directly to Gen. Carlson at  AFMC headquarters at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, now operate as the hub for supply chain management, networking logistics experts from around the Air Force to link wholesale and retail logistics and to integrate and oversee all logistic processes, technology and resources. Their goal is to deliver end-to-end warfighter support more rapidly and at reduced cost.

"As I've traveled around the Air Force, particularly to our air logistics centers, I've come to understand the magnitude of the historical step the Air Force is taking today," General Carlson said.  "While we've always been effective, getting supplies and parts where they need to be, we've not always been efficient. In today's environment, however, where dollars are few and supply lines are long, becoming more efficient is critical.

"At a time when the Air Force is maintaining older and older aircraft, and flying them at a higher rate than they were designed to fly, management of our supply line as an entire enterprise becomes a necessity," Gen. Carlson added.

AFGLSC specialists are now responsible for enterprise-wide planning of the Air Force supply chain, including planning for material, maintenance and distribution. They will maintain command and control, act as a single point of contact for customers to resolve immediate logistics issues at the point of execution and exercise authority for supply-chain strategy and integration.

Col. Baker said the AFGLSC, a "virtual" center, will not only own the management processes, but will also function as the air operations center for supply-chain management. 

"We will be managing business rules and procedures, providing functional requirements for supply chain systems, (providing) financial management, and measuring, assessing and taking action to improve supply chain performance," he said.

"During my tenure, we will focus on trusted support to the warfighter. As we've seen in the last few years, the world is still a very dangerous place and we still have enemies. Indeed, there is no shortage of people that want to do us harm. As the single owner of the Air Force supply chain for spare parts, we will be prepared at all times to ensure our enemies do not succeed and that our customers are confident in our ability to support them 24 hours a day.

"We will also focus on continuous innovation," Col. Baker said. "The AFGLSC was born out of constant process improvement over the past 20 years and, although it is evolutionary, it will have revolutionary results."

Approximately 4,500 people will be working for the AFGLSC, though most are remaining at their current operating locations. Comprising two wings, a direct reporting group and sub-units, the center's operating locations include, in addition to Scott AFB, Tinker AFB, Okla.; Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio; Hill AFB, Utah; Robins AFB, Ga.; Langley AFB, Va.; and Gunter AFS, Alabama.

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