Air Force officials are examining the service’s headquarters-level organization to determine if changes are necessary to ensure that USAF achieves its energy goals, Erin Conaton, undersecretary of the Air Force, said Thursday, said at the service’s energy symposium in Washington, D.C. The Air Force last year issued a strategic energy plan with ambitious goals for reducing its energy consumption and incorporating renewable and alternative sources of energy. For example, it seeks to trim its aviation fuel consumption by 10 percent by 2015. “If we want to make energy a consideration in all we do, we have to look at all of the ways in which we engage on decision-making for the Air Force,” Conaton told reporters after referencing the organizational review in her symposium address. She said she wants to ensure that energy issues have “a seat at the table” in senior echelons.
Three of four congressional committees with influence over defense policy have voted to change the official name of the Department of Defense to the Department of War—but final approval of the Pentagon rebrand is months away and not yet assured.