The Senate approved the President’s nomination of Lt. Gen. Janet Wolfenbarger to receive a fourth star for her new assignment as commander of Air Force Materiel Command at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. She becomes the Air Force’s first female four-star general. Wolfenbarger has been serving as military deputy in the Air Force Secretariat’s acquisition office since September. She’ll replace Gen. Donald Hoffman, who’s led AFMC since November 2008. The change-of-command ceremony is scheduled for June 5. The Senate also cleared the way for Lt. Gen. C.D. Moore, AFMC’s vice commander since October, to lead the new Air Force Life Cycle Management Center that the command is establishing at Wright-Patt. The center is expected to commence initial operations in October. It will provide life-cycle management of Air Force weapon systems. (Wright-Patt release) (See also SAF/PA release)
While the Pentagon has signaled its intent to scale technology, field new systems faster, and work more with nontraditional vendors, a new report identifies persistent manufacturing capacity, resourcing, workforce, and modernization challenges that could hinder its ability to deliver on those goals.