WEBVTT 00:01.840 --> 00:05.460 Change ? What does the word mean to 00:05.469 --> 00:08.449 you ? Is it an exciting prospect or a 00:08.460 --> 00:12.189 thing to dread ? One thing's for 00:12.199 --> 00:14.366 sure , change is going to come whether 00:14.366 --> 00:16.889 we want it to or not , that's one 00:16.899 --> 00:19.066 constant , no matter where you go , no 00:19.066 --> 00:20.955 matter who you are with , is that 00:20.955 --> 00:23.177 something is going to change ? And when 00:23.177 --> 00:25.177 it changes , you can either give up 00:25.177 --> 00:24.479 right then or there or you can keep 00:24.489 --> 00:26.378 going forward and trying to adapt 00:29.129 --> 00:31.018 the air force is moving through a 00:31.018 --> 00:33.279 period of change right now . Changes in 00:33.290 --> 00:35.430 the way it's organized changes in the 00:35.439 --> 00:38.520 way airmen deploy changes to optimize 00:38.529 --> 00:41.159 for great power competition . So where 00:41.169 --> 00:43.340 do airmen fit in ? How do you handle 00:43.349 --> 00:45.571 the changing work environment and still 00:45.571 --> 00:48.189 perform to your best understanding ? 00:48.200 --> 00:50.256 The reasons for change is one way to 00:50.256 --> 00:52.422 help move it forward . So let's take a 00:52.422 --> 00:54.367 look at what's driving all of this 00:57.389 --> 00:59.939 China , China , China , 01:01.650 --> 01:03.706 ladies and gentlemen , we are out of 01:03.706 --> 01:06.730 time , we are out of time , we are out 01:06.739 --> 01:10.470 of time . Why do I say that ? It's 01:10.480 --> 01:12.702 not that I enjoy sounding like a broken 01:12.702 --> 01:14.769 record just because for at least two 01:14.779 --> 01:16.819 decades , China has been building a 01:16.830 --> 01:19.750 military that is designed , purpose 01:19.760 --> 01:22.940 built to deter and defeat the United 01:22.949 --> 01:25.171 States . If we intervene in the Western 01:25.171 --> 01:28.309 Pacific , the world is changing . 01:29.349 --> 01:31.180 China is looking to exploit new 01:31.190 --> 01:33.412 technologies to gain advantage over the 01:33.412 --> 01:35.301 US . While Russian aggression has 01:35.301 --> 01:37.301 pulled allies together and expanded 01:37.301 --> 01:40.269 NATO , the global landscape is more 01:40.279 --> 01:42.919 complex and dynamic than ever before . 01:43.279 --> 01:45.335 The air force built for the previous 01:45.335 --> 01:47.001 era must change to meet these 01:47.001 --> 01:49.580 challenges . The air Force must deliver 01:49.589 --> 01:52.000 combat effective agile and adaptive air 01:52.010 --> 01:54.639 power at scale . In between this , this 01:54.650 --> 01:56.817 turn , you gonna need a load planner , 01:56.817 --> 01:59.039 somebody who's gonna select the loads . 01:59.039 --> 02:01.261 We talk to officers and enlisted airmen 02:01.261 --> 02:03.261 around the country about the coming 02:03.261 --> 02:05.317 changes and to get some insight into 02:05.317 --> 02:07.261 how they're making it happen . Air 02:07.261 --> 02:09.830 Force Force generation or agen is a new 02:09.839 --> 02:12.440 way of deploying airmen and it changes 02:12.449 --> 02:14.616 the way the service presents troops to 02:14.616 --> 02:16.727 combatant commanders for operations . 02:16.910 --> 02:18.910 Lieutenant Colonel Jake Parker is a 02:18.910 --> 02:20.743 planner for the massive mobility 02:20.743 --> 02:23.929 guardian exercise . In 2023 mobility 02:23.940 --> 02:26.070 guardian was held outside the US for 02:26.080 --> 02:28.024 the first time in the Indo Pacific 02:28.024 --> 02:30.990 region . It was the largest air 02:31.000 --> 02:33.190 mobility command readiness exercise in 02:33.199 --> 02:35.880 history with 70 mobility aircraft and 02:35.889 --> 02:38.309 more than 3000 troops from seven 02:38.320 --> 02:40.800 countries taking part as a planner . 02:40.809 --> 02:43.050 Parker says Afro played a role in 02:43.059 --> 02:45.580 building the exercise Air Force fourth 02:45.589 --> 02:48.559 generation model . It's really , it's 02:48.570 --> 02:51.809 the the air force's way of increasing 02:51.820 --> 02:53.619 readiness while increasing 02:53.630 --> 02:55.852 predictability for the units . The agen 02:55.852 --> 02:58.880 model has four phases or bins for 02:58.889 --> 03:01.580 airmen . The entire cycle is two years 03:01.589 --> 03:03.660 long . With each phase lasting six 03:03.669 --> 03:06.050 months , it starts with the prepared 03:06.059 --> 03:08.660 phase focused on training and tactics . 03:08.929 --> 03:10.929 The certified phase keeps troops at 03:10.929 --> 03:12.873 peak readiness through large scale 03:12.873 --> 03:15.389 exercises and certification events . Be 03:15.399 --> 03:17.288 available to commit phase is when 03:17.288 --> 03:20.119 airman deploy and the reset phase is 03:20.130 --> 03:22.360 for reintegration and recovery after a 03:22.369 --> 03:24.630 deployment . And really what that's 03:24.639 --> 03:27.830 doing is it's , it's meant to drive the , 03:27.839 --> 03:30.350 the readiness of our force up and 03:30.360 --> 03:32.589 provide a more stable , predictable 03:32.600 --> 03:34.767 life pattern for the for the airmen at 03:34.767 --> 03:37.029 the unit level , we use the app or GEN 03:37.039 --> 03:39.520 model to pick and choose which units 03:39.529 --> 03:41.640 we're going to be supporting mobility 03:41.640 --> 03:44.130 guardian . So we use the , the units 03:44.139 --> 03:46.779 that were in that certified bin so that 03:46.789 --> 03:48.820 they could move into theater , get 03:48.830 --> 03:50.830 their certification within mobility 03:50.830 --> 03:53.052 guardian and then they were ready for a 03:53.052 --> 03:56.220 worldwide deployment , agile combat 03:56.229 --> 03:59.139 employment or ace favors networks of 03:59.149 --> 04:01.899 small dispersed locations that generate 04:01.910 --> 04:04.500 air power . It also complicates an 04:04.509 --> 04:06.630 adversary's ability to attack and 04:06.639 --> 04:08.940 increases survivability for airmen and 04:08.949 --> 04:11.440 aircraft . The change of character war 04:11.449 --> 04:13.560 means that we're going to be more and 04:13.560 --> 04:15.616 more targeted . Adversaries have the 04:15.616 --> 04:17.940 capabilities to see us whether it's in 04:17.950 --> 04:21.660 the space layer or other platforms that , 04:21.670 --> 04:23.892 that know where our forces are going to 04:23.892 --> 04:26.239 be . We need to have the ability to 04:26.250 --> 04:28.306 pick up and move very , very rapidly 04:28.306 --> 04:30.589 when those locations or those forces 04:30.600 --> 04:32.760 come under threat . So having the 04:32.769 --> 04:36.179 ability to maneuver out of that space 04:36.190 --> 04:38.412 and get off the X , as we like to say , 04:38.412 --> 04:41.579 very rapidly and disperse your forces 04:41.690 --> 04:43.779 is going to enhance survivability . 04:43.980 --> 04:45.813 It's going to create a targeting 04:45.813 --> 04:49.149 problem for adversaries because if we 04:49.160 --> 04:53.070 are not clustered in one location , but 04:53.079 --> 04:56.279 we're dispersed in many , still having 04:56.290 --> 04:58.123 the ability to come together and 04:58.123 --> 05:00.012 aggregate combat power . That's a 05:00.012 --> 05:02.850 problem for adversaries mission . ready 05:02.859 --> 05:05.420 airmen get the job done handling duties 05:05.429 --> 05:07.485 outside their normal specialty . And 05:07.485 --> 05:09.540 that's especially true in a deployed 05:09.540 --> 05:11.609 environment . Um Anything can happen 05:11.619 --> 05:15.250 down range from um a section needing 05:15.260 --> 05:17.829 extra help or an emergency that might 05:17.839 --> 05:20.006 pop up . You might have to go down and 05:20.220 --> 05:22.209 uh fulfill a duty that you're not 05:22.220 --> 05:24.290 necessarily comfortable with doing . 05:24.859 --> 05:26.915 But um you just have to fall back on 05:26.915 --> 05:28.970 your basic training and whatever you 05:28.970 --> 05:31.549 learn um and pre deployment that will 05:31.559 --> 05:33.670 help you out in the long run . And so 05:33.670 --> 05:35.837 we're , we're always preparing them in 05:35.837 --> 05:38.003 the , in the basic training . But then 05:38.003 --> 05:40.170 when they get back into the garrison , 05:40.170 --> 05:42.392 we're constantly working together to be 05:42.392 --> 05:44.503 able to expand their horizons working 05:44.503 --> 05:46.337 across , you know , they might a 05:46.337 --> 05:48.170 special care such as aeroport or 05:48.170 --> 05:50.392 aircraft maintenance , but we're really 05:50.392 --> 05:52.559 trying to take our folks and make them 05:52.559 --> 05:54.281 be integrators , allow them to 05:54.281 --> 05:56.337 understand what , what it looks like 05:56.337 --> 05:56.114 for some of the other airmen , how 05:56.125 --> 05:57.903 they're working and how do they 05:57.903 --> 06:00.069 actually come together as a team to be 06:00.069 --> 06:02.181 able to make the mission happen . And 06:02.181 --> 06:02.114 so maybe one day you're , you're a 06:02.125 --> 06:04.347 defender the next day , you're actually 06:04.347 --> 06:06.347 helping somebody change a tire on a 06:06.347 --> 06:08.347 forklift . And that's the mindset . 06:08.347 --> 06:10.458 We're really trying to get across the 06:10.458 --> 06:12.625 community . Response . Community wings 06:12.625 --> 06:14.681 are building dedicated a staffs that 06:14.681 --> 06:16.847 coordinate and integrate information , 06:16.847 --> 06:18.847 supporting the commander's decision 06:18.847 --> 06:20.681 making . The construct maximizes 06:20.681 --> 06:22.736 responsiveness in a crisis and helps 06:22.736 --> 06:24.792 integration with the joint force . A 06:24.792 --> 06:26.569 staffs also provide development 06:26.569 --> 06:28.458 opportunities for young NC Os and 06:28.458 --> 06:30.681 officers . The change frees up squadron 06:30.681 --> 06:32.792 commanders so they can fully focus on 06:32.792 --> 06:35.299 missions . And mission command is a 06:35.309 --> 06:37.660 philosophy of leadership that empowers 06:37.670 --> 06:39.739 airmen to act and make decisions , 06:39.750 --> 06:42.149 building trust through the ranks . One 06:42.160 --> 06:43.938 of the biggest things for me is 06:43.938 --> 06:45.660 empowerment . So I come from a 06:45.660 --> 06:47.869 community where we have airmen at all 06:47.880 --> 06:50.010 levels , leading teams doing 06:50.019 --> 06:52.630 supervisory work and their ability to 06:52.640 --> 06:54.779 get after the mission is absolutely 06:54.790 --> 06:57.549 unstoppable . So my biggest thing is 06:57.559 --> 06:59.781 making sure that I empower those around 06:59.781 --> 07:01.837 me to help make the mission happen . 07:01.837 --> 07:03.948 And that has helped me , I've learned 07:03.948 --> 07:06.059 so much from that community as well . 07:06.059 --> 07:08.281 All of these efforts are moving forward 07:08.281 --> 07:10.226 as the Department of the Air Force 07:10.226 --> 07:12.448 commits itself to re optimize for great 07:12.448 --> 07:14.739 power competition . In 2023 Secretary 07:14.750 --> 07:16.806 Kindle announced that the department 07:16.806 --> 07:18.861 would address the need for broad and 07:18.861 --> 07:21.028 comprehensive change in light of China 07:21.028 --> 07:23.083 building its conventional forces and 07:23.083 --> 07:25.306 its nuclear and space capabilities that 07:25.306 --> 07:27.417 launched a deep dive analysis of what 07:27.417 --> 07:29.361 was needed to organize , train and 07:29.361 --> 07:31.472 equip the Air Force and Space Force . 07:31.769 --> 07:33.491 The results of that study were 07:33.491 --> 07:35.325 announced earlier this year with 07:35.325 --> 07:37.436 several key decisions centered around 07:37.436 --> 07:39.640 four core areas , developing people 07:39.649 --> 07:42.179 generating readiness projecting power 07:42.190 --> 07:44.649 and developing integrated capabilities . 07:45.570 --> 07:47.626 We're trying to do two things at the 07:47.626 --> 07:50.959 same time , folks , we need to both be 07:50.970 --> 07:53.720 ready today with the force that we have , 07:54.010 --> 07:56.121 we need to approach that with a sense 07:56.121 --> 07:58.121 of urgency . So in the areas that I 07:58.121 --> 08:00.232 talked about the projecting power and 08:00.232 --> 08:00.119 the generating readiness , that is 08:00.130 --> 08:02.297 about getting our force ready today to 08:02.297 --> 08:04.519 project power in the manner it needs to 08:04.519 --> 08:04.480 be for the fight . Should it happen 08:04.489 --> 08:06.869 sooner than anybody wants ? But we also 08:06.880 --> 08:10.480 need to update re optimize dare I say 08:10.489 --> 08:12.433 the processes , the policies , the 08:12.433 --> 08:14.519 authorities and in some cases , the 08:14.529 --> 08:16.585 structures to be competitive for the 08:16.585 --> 08:20.100 long term . In all 24 key 08:20.109 --> 08:22.276 decisions have been announced that are 08:22.276 --> 08:24.165 spread across the department from 08:24.165 --> 08:26.387 headquarters to the Air Force and Space 08:26.387 --> 08:28.442 Force . For its part , the Air Force 08:28.442 --> 08:30.880 has 16 key decisions to implement as 08:30.890 --> 08:33.130 part of the re optimization effort that 08:33.140 --> 08:35.679 addresses each of the four core areas 08:35.690 --> 08:37.950 mentioned earlier , developing people 08:37.960 --> 08:40.130 generating readiness projecting power 08:40.140 --> 08:42.418 and developing integrated capabilities . 08:43.760 --> 08:47.150 We are committed to these . We do not 08:47.159 --> 08:49.215 have them . Exactly right . And I am 08:49.215 --> 08:51.381 unapologetic to stand here in front of 08:51.381 --> 08:53.381 you and say I do not know the exact 08:53.381 --> 08:55.326 final destination . And here's why 08:55.789 --> 08:59.270 because if we wait to move to have 08:59.280 --> 09:01.510 those final answers , we will be too 09:01.520 --> 09:04.239 late . We have to have trust and 09:04.250 --> 09:07.000 confidence that the analysis we've done 09:07.380 --> 09:09.491 has put us on the right path and I am 09:09.491 --> 09:11.890 fully confident in that we need to move , 09:11.900 --> 09:13.900 we have the right vector and we can 09:13.909 --> 09:16.076 adjust once we get on course , but you 09:16.076 --> 09:18.659 have to be moving to be on a course to 09:18.669 --> 09:20.780 adjust course . And that's what we're 09:20.780 --> 09:20.820 gonna do .