Are We There Yet?

  • Published
  • By Col. Bruce A. Litchfield
  • Agile Combat Support Systems Wing commander
WRIGHT PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio (AFPN) --  Have you ever noticed that one of the universal questions asked when you're traveling is, "Are we there, yet?"? It doesn't matter whether the vehicle is full of children or adults, on a trip longer than 10 minutes, seemingly someone will ask the question.

A little more than two-and-one-half years ago, Air Force Materiel Command set up a new transformation office to implement Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld's vision to reshape the Department of Defense, particularly as it pertains to our mission of delivering war-winning expeditionary capabilities.

The transformation office wrestled with the issue of adapting the command to meet the mandates of a post-9/11 world. The original charter for transformation has evolved many times since its inception. Under recently retired General Gregory S. Martin's tenure as the AFMC commander, implementation of transformation initiatives accelerated to warp speed.

Even with the many changes that have occurred to the original focus, I am still asked the same question in terms of the transformation journey, "Are we there yet?" I have thought about that question many times and would like to share my perspective.

Today, the United States and allied partners are engaged in a war that has implications far beyond freedom for the people of Iraq and Afghanistan. The war on terrorism is not limited to the borders of these countries. Terrorists know no borders: they don't subscribe to the rules of armed conflict nor are they guided by principles that value human life.

Victory in Iraq is necessary because of the strategic importance of the region. But even after the violence is controlled and the country is governed by a ratified constitution, the war on terrorism will continue. Terrorists live throughout the world, and it may take decades of sustained and cooperative efforts to ultimately defeat their capacity to threaten the freedom that we as Americans so enjoy.

The best summation I've heard is that the war on terrorism may turn out to be our children's Cold War. It will take the full spectrum of America's political, economic, and military power to win.

Our role is to develop and sustain military capabilities that provide the advantage on a dynamic, fluid, and ever-changing battlefield against an enemy that does not follow a conventional textbook. The terrorists are not necessarily trying to defeat our forces. They are trying to conquer our will to fight.

Since the march on Baghdad, we have seen terrorist tactics such as urban mortar attacks, firing on transport aircraft, roadside incendiary devices, suicide bombers, mass car bombings, along with the most recent attack on the British mass transportation system, to name a few. None of these tactics are focused on winning a traditional, force-on-force, military-against-military battle. They are designed to defeat our nation's desire to fight on the "terrorist battlefield."

In response to war fighter requirements, Aeronautical Systems Center here has had to transform on many levels. Gone are the days when the next new aircraft was just around the corner. The demands for our talent and skills are associated with keeping aircraft flying longer with capabilities never envisioned when the platform was designed.

Regardless of what wing you look at, many great examples exist of adding sensors, weapons, information systems, and other capabilities that the operators are using today. These new capabilities were fielded through Herculean efforts by highly talented and experienced men and women across the center. In many cases we have had to find ways to work the system to secure funding, solidify requirements, find technical solutions, and execute contracts rapidly, while complying with the regulations governing the acquisition process.

The next step is to turn the need for these Herculean efforts into daily operations. If we are to sustain a pace that satisfies rapidly evolving battlefield needs, we need to develop an operating style that understands, anticipates, and reacts within the terrorist cycle time. This challenge is sometimes difficult because our normal process is set on an annual basis. The good news is that with planning and coordination, there are procedures in place to get things moving quickly when necessary.

The program executive officer consolidation at product centers and new wing structure go a long way towards expediting capability delivery. We have seen over the past months the benefits of increased coordination and improved command and control. Wing commanders are in frequent communication and participate in joint reviews that allow the cross flow of capabilities and processes.

The new structure also implements one of the basic principles of war: unity of command. There is a clear line of authority and accountability when it comes to program execution.

Our industry partners are working to understand the changing environment. At the center level, partnership days allow the opportunity to discuss program progress and challenges associated with fielding critical capabilities. These are candid discussions at the senior leadership levels. It helps government representatives understand when they are driving the wrong behavior or response from a contractor. It also allows our center commander to deliver a message right to the top of our major suppliers when required.

Even with all the major changes that have come over the last year, there is one constant in the process of transformation -- the men and women who make up the force that executes the mission. As individuals we have the responsibility to come to work each day with the attitude that someone on the battlefield is counting on us to deliver.

Before going home each night, each of us needs to ask ourselves, "Can I do anything more to field a capability, expedite a technology, or assist in any way possible so that an Airman, Soldier, Sailor, or Marine may gain the advantage on the battlefield?" In the acquisition world, we are used to working with longer timelines, but in reality, every day counts.

So the question remains, "Are we there, yet?" As an experienced road warrior, I've developed a universal answer, "We're getting closer."

In the war on terrorism, our enemies will persist as long as they believe there is an opportunity to drive us from their ill-defined battlefield. Our job as an acquisition team is to field war-winning capability in less time than the enemy's ability to respond.

We will have arrived at our transformation destination when our nation has achieved victory over the terrorists' ability to threaten our way of life. Until then, as acquisition professionals, we must maintain the transformation journey and continually improve the way we execute our mission.