Interdependence is the key to future Air Force success, according to the service’s secretary and chief of staff as they addressed more than 800 attendees at the Air Force Association meeting here Feb. 2.

Secretary of the Air Force Michael W. Wynne and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley outlined their vision for the future at the annual Air Warfare Symposium.

"Interdependency must be real. It cannot be just words we use in staff meetings and around water coolers," said Secretary Wynne. "Interdependency accurately captures how small unit joint forces fight now. It has become a part of who we are."

According to Secretary Wynne, more jointness, along with other changes, will push improvement in all service missions by eliminating duplication and emphasizing persistent situational awareness across boundaries.

General Moseley echoed that idea and added that Reserve and Air National Guard forces hold prominent roles in how the Air Force will integrate interdependence.

Instead of a one-size-fits-all deterrence posture, Air Force leaders will have tailored deterrence to maximize the president's options when dealing with near-peer competitors, rogue powers or terrorists and their networks.

"In other words, we are tailoring our forces through the Quadrennial Defense Review to have the capability to respond to contingencies that range from humanitarian relief and disaster response to irregular, asymmetric operations -- all the while ... shifting from bulky industrial-age forces to speedy information-age enabled forces," the secretary said.

The move to interdependence means a change in philosophy from garrison-based forces to the more agile expeditionary forces when responding to emerging enemy threats.

According to General Moseley, controlling cyberspace will become more and more important as this transformation grows.

"The U.S. Army is the dominant force in land warfare -- without peer. The U.S. Navy spent 200 years establishing dominance of the world's oceans. The Air Force is responsible for dominating air and space -- this is what we contribute to this interdependency," General Moseley said.

Citing examples of interdependency currently being used, Secretary Wynne said the Air Force is already entrenched in the idea.

"The Air Force is also fully partnered with the Army and Marine Corps units running convoys throughout Iraq. Do you know that we have more than 1,000 transportation, security forces, and medical airmen trained to support convoy missions?" the secretary said.

Additionally, he said, the Air Force now has DOD-certified, joint terminal attack controllers who can direct any combat aircraft engaged in close support with troops, regardless of what service they are from. Air Force security forces have worked with Army units to provide sector security outside bases to clear insurgent operations.

According to General Moseley, the Air Force will soon become more expeditionary, more interdependent and more deployable.

"Airpower is not limited by oceans, mountains or distance. Our only limit in the future is our imagination," General Moseley said.