Page 1 - Edwards AFB Desert Wings 3-18-16

Serving the community of Edwards Air Force Base, California

Volume 63, Number 36 www.edwards.af.mil – www.facebook.com/edwardsairforcebase March 18, 2016

Team Edwards represents at state capitol

by Rebecca Amber wards AFB was two-fold, to em- Courtesy photograph
Staff writer phasize the huge impact of the
aerospace industry in California A three-man team from Edwards AFB took a trip to the state capitol Feb. 29-March 1 to tell the story of Edwards
A three-man team from Edwards to state political leadership, and to DW WKH ¿IWK DQQXDO &DOLIRUQLD$HURVSDFH 'D\V7KH WZRGD\ FRQIHUHQFH IRU OHJLVODWRUV DW WKH &DOLIRUQLD
AFB took a trip to the state capitol share the Edwards mission with the State Capitol brought together state lawmakers and their staff to learn more about the importance of aerospace
Feb. 29-March 1 to tell the story of general public. to California.
(GZDUGVDWWKH¿IWKDQQXDO&DOLIRU-
nia Aerospace Days. According to Blanco, the first
day was spent in briefings. They
That team included Dr. David heard presentations from women in
Smith, 412th Test Wing Installa- Science, Technology, Engineering
tion Support director, Humberto and Mathematics (STEM) along
Blanco, 412th Plans and Programs with astronauts and engineers.
deputy director, and Ken Neitzle, While Edwards did not present,
U.S. Air Force Plant 42 airfield Blanco found it educational to lis-
manager. ten to the other participants.

The two-day conference for ³:HDOVRZHQWWRWKHVHQDWHÀRRU
legislators at the California State and we experienced how some of
Capitol brought together state law- the decisions are made,” he re-
makers and their staff to learn more called.
about the importance of aerospace
to California. Panelists discussed “The trip was a wonderful oppor-
the many great things being done tunity to highlight issues, concerns
in the aerospace sector throughout and emphasize the need for regu-
the state and also addressed any lar and persistent state interface
concerns or challenges in the cur- with our mission at Edwards,” said
rent economic and political climate. Smith. “The opportunity to inter-

The purpose of the trip for Ed- See SACRAMENTO, Page 5

AFMC strategic plan to help carry Air Force to Third Offset

by Stacey Geiger battlespace of the year 2030 could see F-35s the bedrock of our road ahead.” six centers and the headquarters staff devel-
Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio or a next-generation aircraft linked by satel- In the plan, the command’s mission state- oped 11 supporting objectives and 35 com-
lite networks, cyber bugs that infect and take mitments that will be measured, tracked
Agility and innovation are cornerstones of down adversaries’ computers and swarms of ment is short and declarative: “deliver and and assessed throughout 2016. The commit-
a new Air Force Materiel Command strate- attack drones converging on enemy targets. support agile war-winning capabilities.” ments will help deliver the requirements of
gic plan that will deliver war-winning capa- $)0&¶VZDU¿JKWHU³FXVWRPHUV´DFURVVWKH
bilities. Those capabilities will propel the Air AFMC, with its ability to deliver and sup- The command’s vision is “delivering the Air Force as well as enable the command’s
Force as a key element of the future national port agile war-winning capabilities, is crucial world’s greatest air force...the most trusted 80,000-member workforce to do its job better.
defense strategy known as the Third Offset. to providing those technologies and connect- and agile provider of innovative and cost-
ing them across the Air Force’s three domains effective war-winning capabilities.” AFMC The commitments are extensive and di-
The first “offset” came in in the 1950s of air, space and cyberspace. The strategic will constantly strive to attain the vision with verse. They range from providing assess-
when the United States looked to tactical plan with its four goals, supporting objectives DIRFXVRQPHHWLQJWKHZDU¿JKWHU¶VQHHGV ments of adversary cyber threats to achiev-
nuclear weapons to deter, or offset, large, and a list of external and internal commit- ing major acquisition milestones to “people”
conventional forces in Western Europe. The ments will be AFMC’s blueprint for success. The heart of the strategic plan is its four commitments like improved support to the
second offset came in the 1970s when the goals: families of deployed military members.
Soviet Union achieved nuclear parity and “Our Air Force is in high demand around
the U.S. sought an advantage by turning to the globe every minute of every day. While ‡,QFUHDVHDJLOLW\RI$)0&VXSSRUWWRWKH “These commitments are important to our
precision-guided weapons. it remains the world’s greatest Air Force, it Air Force enterprise success,” Pawlikowski said. “We will track
must become more agile to operate effective- them and ensure our people are accountable
The Third Offset is the Department of ly in the dynamic, ever-changing worldwide ‡%ROVWHUWUXVWDQGFRQ¿GHQFHRIWKRVHZH IRUWKHLUIXO¿OOPHQW:LWKRXWVWURQJFRPPLW-
Defense strategy to leverage new technolo- environment today—and tomorrow,” said serve by meeting our commitments ments, our strategic plan cannot succeed.”
gies to offset advances made by adversaries AFMC Commander Gen. Ellen Pawlikowski.
in recent years. It will draw on technologies “The expertise in our centers and laboratories ‡'ULYHFRVWHIIHFWLYHQHVVLQWRWKHFDSDELOL- The new strategic plan can be found at:
VXFKDVDUWL¿FLDOLQWHOOLJHQFHDXWRQRPRXV puts us in the perfect position to deliver Third ties we provide http://www.afmc.af.mil/shared/media/docu-
systems and human-machine networks. A Offset capabilities and this strategic plan is ment/AFD-160310-031.pdf.
‡5HFUXLWGHYHORSDQGUHWDLQDGLYHUVH
high-performing, and resilient team

To ensure AFMC achieves its goals, its

The next Edwards AFB town hall meeting
will be 5-7 p.m., April 14 at the

Airman and Family Readiness Center.