Air Force leaders told industry at last week’s Air Warfare Symposium the service is willing to accept risk in exchange for speed in fielding new capabilities—a message that was cheered by top industry leaders. However, those same industry leaders cautioned they must see evidence that USAF is sincere, and only mutual trust will make it work. Read the full story by John A. Tirpak.

Reorganization, Personnel Priorities Await New AFMC Commander

Air Force Life Cycle Management Center commander Lt. Gen. Robert McMurry recently told reporters he wants to work with the incoming head of Air Force Materiel Command to restructure his organization for broad portfolio management and faster acquisition. He also said he’ll consult with the AFMC chief—expected to be Lt. Gen. Arnold Bunch, who now serves as the Air Force’s top uniformed acquisition official—on ways to improve personnel hiring and retention. Read the full story by Rachel S. Cohen.

Puerto Rico Guard Mission Undecided After Hurricane Maria, Fatal Crash

The Air Force knew the Puerto Rico Air National Guard was struggling with its mission and it was working to fix the issue even before a WC-130H crashed in May 2018, killing all nine airmen on board, the deputy director of the Air National Guard told Air Force Magazine in an interview Friday. Maj. Gen. Marc Sasserville said he expects the Air Force to make a decision on what the Puerto Rico ANG’s future mission will be by this summer. In the meantime, there is an advise and assist team on the ground to help the Guard “regroup, regain readiness and lethality,” he said. Read the full story by Amy McCullough.

Military Research Groups Boosting Collaboration

Research chiefs from the Air Force, Navy, and Army regularly meet to chart a joint path toward new technologies, and the meetings have proven “very productive,” Air Force Research Laboratory commander Maj. Gen. William Cooley recently told Air Force Magazine. “At our level, we’re looking at, ‘OK, how are you approaching problems, how are you dealing with some of these things, what innovative approaches, so that we can crosswalk and benefit from insights?’” he said. “There’s been a number of areas in which we say, ‘I like what you’re doing, we’re going to double down on what you’re doing.’” Read the full story by Rachel S. Cohen.

CSAF, CMSAF Sound Off About Social Media

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein and CMSAF Kaleth Wright tackled the topic of social media during a joint appearance at AFA’s Air Warfare Symposium on Friday, with Goldfein calling it “a double-edged sword” that warrants real consideration, and Wright praising it as a potentially solid source of constructive criticism for the service. Read the full story by Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory.

Welsh’s 5 Keys to Leading In Disruptive Times

You can’t escape change, but you can take charge despite it, former Air Force Chief of Staff retired Gen. Mark Welsh told a crowd of airmen and industry leaders during a Feb. 28 keynote at AFA’s 2019 Air Warfare Symposium in Orlando, Fla. “The world is disruptive, so my view is get ready to lead in it,” he said. He then outlined five keys to leading through chaos. Read the full story by Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory.