Gen.
Donald Hoffman, commander of Air Force Materiel Command, told AFA’s Air Warfare Symposium in Orlando during a Friday panel on combat support that he wants to speed up some acquisition processes to get upgrades into the fight faster. He had just returned from a tour of Southwest Asia operations (see below). Hoffman acknowledged that it takes a long time to affect change in the acquisition environment and that there is more you can do with “little A” acquisition issues such as workforce issues than with “big A” issues like requirements and resources sometimes. To that end Hoffman said AFMC has a lot of knowledge in civilian systems engineers, analysts, and cost estimators that he wants to invest in his acquisition corps, not just move people around. “I look at net gain when it comes to my civilian workforce,” he added.
Billy Mitchell: Lessons a Hundred Years Hence
Dec. 16, 2025
Exactly 100 years ago, on Dec. 17, 1925, Brig. Gen. Billy Mitchell was convicted by court-martial for violating an order that required approval before he could engage with the media. Mitchell’s provocative thoughts and unorthodox methods sought attention for a cause that he saw as uniquely American.
