Now a fully functioning and manned organization, Air Force Global Strike Command is consolidating and standardizing many of the gains made in the nuclear enterprise over the last several years, said the command’s new boss, Lt. Gen. James Kowalski, Friday. “We recognize we are not going to change a culture over the space of just a couple years,” he said in remarks at AFA’s Air Warfare Symposium in Orlando, Fla. He added, “We have to demonstrate the values we expect.” Airmen need clear guidance to carry out this important mission, added Kowalski, who assumed the reins of command in January. That’s why AFGSC has undertaken a year-long review of its doctrine statements to ensure that they match up new readiness standards. In some cases, command officials have created clear and simple new performance metrics for duties associated with the nuclear mission in order to identify and fix problems quickly, he said. During his first round of visits to AFGSC bases, Kowalski said he stressed to airmen the need to gather up and institutionalize the metrics, standards, practices, and self-assessment tools that have helped bring renewed vigor and stringency to the nuclear mission.
The last remaining T-1 Jayhawk at JBSA-Randolph, Texas, took its final flight to the "Boneyard" at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., on July 15. The 99th Flying Training Squadron will train pilots using T-6 and simulator until it gets T-7 Red Hawk in fiscal 2026.