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Air Force officials focus on efficiency improvements

  • Published
  • By Chandra Lloyd
  • 88th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio --  Air Force acquisition and finance officials briefed the Wright-Patterson acquisition community on ways they can be more efficient at the 2011 Spring Program Review town hall meeting here at the Air Force Institute of Technology's Kenney Hall on April 5.

Lt. Gen. Tom Owen, Aeronautical Systems Center commander, opened the meeting with a statement that rang true to Air Force budget realities.

"Dollars are tight. I've never seen budget issues as challenging as they are now, and now you have the opportunity to literally hear the full story from the top," General Owen said.

During the meeting Marilyn Thomas, Deputy for Budget, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Financial Management and Comptroller, stressed the importance of flexibility during a time when budget decisions are uncertain.

"Now that the Air Force has been through seven continuing resolutions we must remember to make sure there's flexibility and resiliency under a CR," said Ms. Thomas.

Ms. Thomas explained that 63 percent of the Air Force's total obligation authority goes to day-to-day operations, and that percentage tends to grow as the fleet ages and personnel costs continue to rise.

"The Air Force is working to reduce excess overhead costs and apply savings to force structure, modernization and readiness," said Ms. Thomas.

Both officials stressed how productivity was the metric for effective efficiency in order to sustain the warfighters needs.

"Our overall goal is to protect Air Force TOA and get weapon systems delivered to the warfighter, but we must change the way we operate," said Blaise J. Durante, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Acquisition Integration, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition.

He also enforced how important it was for the acquisition community to make changes within the business culture. Changes such as identifying issues for timely engagement of senior leadership, executing and maintaining repeatable processes, and ensuring all unit goals are aligned with the workforce.

Both officials also emphasized the importance of ensuring requested funding be used toward the long-term betterment of the Air Force. Furthermore, Ms. Thomas alluded to the fact that the Air Force has received criticism on acquisition strategies and how they are executed.

"We've lost a lot of battles and a lot of money on Capitol Hill due to poor execution," said Ms. Thomas.

One of the improvements mentioned to alleviate scrutiny was to ensure requirement submissions presented to Capitol Hill are accurate and have good supporting documentation.

As the meeting concluded, Mr. Durante restated the Air Force acquisition community's main focus.

"We must be effective while also being efficient, it's our responsibility to be able to do both because we have lives riding on it," said Mr. Durante.