Air Force leaders gather for Four Star Conference

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ANDREWS AIR FORCE BASE, Md. (AFNEWS) --  Air Force senior leaders gathered here March 23 for the Four Star Conference to discuss the service's top challenges, opportunities and priorities.

Topics ranged across a diverse set of issues, from how the Air Force develops and sustains warfighting systems to how moving targets are attacked, to exciting initiatives at Air University, all reflecting the depth and complexity of the Air Force mission.

"This conference provided a great setting for senior Air Force leadership to focus on a variety of issues affecting our Airmen as they fight today and prepare to fight tomorrow in air, space and cyberspace," said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley, who served as host for the one-day conference.

In addition to General Moseley and commanders of all Air Force major commands, the Four Star Conference attendees included Air Force Secretary Michael W. Wynne, Under Secretary of the Air Force Dr. Ron Sega, Vice Chief of Staff Gen. John Corley, and Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Rodney J. McKinley, as well as assistant secretaries, deputy chiefs of staff, and senior leaders from offices within both the Air and Secretariat staffs.

Among the topics discussed by Air Force leaders during the conference:

-- The Air Warfare Center provided an update on its efforts to identify and test airpower solutions to the challenges facing warfighters in Iraq and Afghanistan. This specific testing resulted directly from General Moseley and Gen. Ronald Keys, Air Combat Command commander, personally resolving to answer the most urgent operational needs facing Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines in the field. Briefers presented several courses of action the senior leaders could follow to deliver precise, rapid and reliable airpower effects to counter some of the most significant obstacles facing U.S. and allied forces.

-- Gen. Bruce Carlson, Air Force Materiel Command commander, presented AFMC's efforts to evolve the organizations and centers responsible for development and sustainment of warfighting systems. General Carlson underscored the D&SWS vision of "streamlined and integrated life cycle management" and outlined how AFMC is posturing for success now and in the future. Streamlining and integrating lifecycle management will improve the acquisition process by providing a single face to the user, minimizing scrap and rework, reducing conflicting guidance from multiple users and inserting accountability up and down the chain of command, General Carlson said.

-- John Vonglis, the Air Force Financial Management director, presented an overview of the Air Force Smart Operations for the 21 Century financial implementation strategy. AFSO21 continues to develop the culture of continuous process improvement by increasing efficiency and effectiveness of operations while maintaining a razor-sharp focus on the war on terrorism, he said. Elimination of waste and standardized processes result in cost savings that can be used to develop and care for our Airmen and recapitalizing and modernizing the total force, he added.

-- Lt. Gen. Steve Lorenz, the Air University commander, covered a wide range of educational issues and ongoing AU initiatives, including academic research programs and professional military education courses. He said these initiatives provide increased educational opportunities for all Airmen and are investment opportunities critical to the Air Force's future.

-- As part of a working lunch, Dr. Loren Thompson of the Lexington Institute, a leading policy research firm specializing in national security issues, addressed the strategic communications challenges facing the Air Force and offered some suggestions on how to meet them. Lee Pilz and John D'Acierno from GSD&M, the Air Force's marketing contractor, presented a briefing on Air Force "branding." Air Force leadership continues to look for ways to build better relationships with key audiences to ensure the support and understanding that is critical to operational success, force modernization, and the development of our most precious resource, our Airmen.

-- Lt. Gen. Howie Chandler, the deputy chief of staff for Air Force Operations, Plans and Requirements, briefed the new Transformational Aircrew Management Initiative for the 21st Century. As the name suggests, TAMI 21 focuses on achieving new efficiency and effectiveness as it seeks to evolve Air Force processes for pilot production, aircrew training and total force integration.

-- The final briefing of the day came from the Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel Lt. Gen. Roger Brady, who provided updates on force shaping, career developments and a host of other personnel issues.

General Moseley assessed the day as intense, but extremely productive -- all in a day's work.

"We covered a lot of ground in just one day," he said. "But that's required in our business. Of all the services, America's Airmen develop, maintain and execute the widest range of capabilities and missions, encompassing three rapidly evolving and dynamic warfighting domains: air, space and cyberspace."

In parallel with the Four Star Conference, the spouses of Air Force senior leaders also met here and discussed several top issues of keen interest to Airmen and their families. The discussions covered another broad range of topics, including enlisted educational opportunities, quality of life initiatives, force shaping and personnel issues, housing privatization, the "Caring for Wounded Warriors" program, pre- and post-deployment services, and AFSO21 initiatives such as the Air Force Judge Advocate's new centralized claims center.

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