ON-FINAL NEWS BULLETIN - October 14, 2023 (Vol 43, No. 10)

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  • 507th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs

ON-FINAL NEWS BULLETIN - October 14, 2023 (Vol 43, No. 10)

(Click headline to follow link to story and photos)

DAF publishes Comprehensive Strategy for the Space Force
Department of the Air Force’s Report to Congressional Committees, Comprehensive Strategy for the Space Force, dated August 2023, was published on the SpaceForce.mil Space Force Policy page for public review.

Team Tinker celebrates and honors Hispanic heritage month
National Hispanic Heritage Month was celebrated at Tinker Air Force Base September 22, 2023 with a wide variety of events for civilians and service members to attend. Every year, Americans observe National Hispanic Heritage Month from Sept. 15 to Oct.15.

Don’t be a target: How to identify adversarial propaganda

Strategic competitors, adversaries and proxies use information to gain an advantage over the U.S. joint force.

Team Tinker to host Wing It Together event Oct. 27
Team Tinker units have joined forces to host the inaugural Wing It Together Resiliency and Sports Day event to be held Oct. 27 on the northwest corner of the base.

Statement from Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III on the passage of a continuing resolution

Statement from Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III

Message from Air Force Leaders

Framework and Terms of Reference, Reoptimizing for Great Power Competition

 

This document establishes the foundational framework and Terms of Reference (ToR) to use in reoptimizing the Department of the Air Force (DAF) for Great Power Competition (GPC). The term GPC describes the strategic environment that focuses on the People's Republic of

China (PRC) as a pacing threat. Optimizing for GPC is about building a ready Force capable of engaging the PRC across the spectrum of operations from competition through crisis and if

deterrence fails, prevail in conflict.

 

For the last 30 years, the DAF has focused on a strategic environment, with less stressing threats and challenges, and as a result, built organizational structures, personnel policies,

management practices, and patterns of behavior around lesser contingencies other than GPC.

This has led to an incremental shift towards business practices that incentivize institutional

efficiency for routine operations over effectiveness for great power deterrence or conflict. As a result, the DAF, as an enterprise, is not currently optimized for GPC. We must examine and

improve all aspects of how the DAF performs its basic requirements to organize, train, and equip the units and capabilities that we provide to the Joint Force and Combatant Commanders in light of the new environment.

 

The pace of change across all facets of the strategic environment allows the threat to

advance more dynamically than ever. The changing strategic environment requires the DAF to be even more closely synchronized with the Combatant Commands and Theater Air and Space Components. We must account for competition and conflict needs around the globe to ensure

the DAF can effectively support the Joint Force.

 

The context of GPC is complex and dynamic, but at its center is a pacing challenge with the resources, technology, and intention to deter and if necessary, defeat US power projection. Key features include a heightened risk of major conflicts, an operational timeline we may not control, new and dynamic partner and adversary alliances, rapid technological change, threats to installations and infrastructure, uncertain air, space, and cyber superiority, digitization and the growing role of information and data, the need for speed in all domains, and enduring downward fiscal pressure. These factors underscore the necessity for efficient and focused enterprise level efforts to meet GPC challenges effectively. Every person and organization in the DAF needs to consider what we can do to more effectively deter and, if necessary, defeat the most formidable competitor we have faced in decades, if ever.

 

Reoptimizing must proceed at a rapid pace and will be facilitated by the Senior Leader Team (SLT) composed of the Secretary of the Air Force (SecAF), Under Secretary of the Air

Force (USecAF), Chief of Staff of the Air Force (CSAF), and Chief of Space Operations (CSO).

 

Tasks are organized into five Lines of Effort (LOE), with each assigned a Secretariat and service component lead to direct teams from within the DAF Headquarters staff augmented with

representation from the field. These teams will focus on our core organize, train, and equip

responsibilities. Success will require coordination and participation from across the Total Force. There is no margin for bureaucratic self-defense. We must harness the power of our most

creative and innovative people to ensure we are optimized for GPC and always ready to prevail in conflict should deterrence fail.

 

  • LOE 1-Organize: Led by USecAF, and supported by SAF/AA, SAF/DS, AF/A3,

AF/AS/7, and SF/CSRO, this team will focus on how the DAF is organized for GPC.

This LOE should consider, among other issues, the headquarters organization, top level command structure, and unit of action level structure. All non-acquisition organizations will be included; acquisition organizations will be assessed in LOE 2.

  • LOE 2-Equip and Sustain: Led by SAF/AQ and SAF/SQ, and supported by AF/A4, SF/COO, and AF/AS/7, this team will focus on how we equip and sustain the Total Force for GPC. This LOE should focus on how to organize acquisition and sustainment related functions, optimize technology transition, and new product pipelines with a focus on

delivering warfighting advantage against a peer competitor.

  • LOE 3 -People: Led by SAF/MR, and supported by AF/Al and SF/CHCO, this team will focus on how we recruit, retain, and train our people for GPC. This LOE should

consider, among other issues, the personnel we need, career paths, force mixture,

recruiting, accessions, retention, and training at the individual level.

  • LOE 4 -Readiness: Led by SAF/SA and SAF/IG, and supported by AF/A3 and

SF /COO, this team will focus on how we should generate, sustain, evaluate, manage and assess readiness for GPC across the Total Force.

  • LOE 5-Support: Led by SAF/IE, and supported by SAF/AQ, AF/A4, and SF/COO,

this team will focus on how we support the Total Force for GPC, including providing

installations, mobilizing, and demobilizing. This LOE should consider, among other

issues, all core competencies of the Combat Support and Combat Service Support

enterprises, infrastructure, and bed down of air and space forces.

 

The following One Team, One Fight attributes will guide DAF re-optimization efforts to achieve success in the future strategic environment described above:

 

  1. Strong Organizational Alignment: Strongly aligned organizations enabling speed and agility in enterprise decision making. All organizations have clear roles and responsibilities without competing power structures or overlapping responsibilities unless for deliberate resiliency. A governance construct that ensures follow-thru and accountability of enterprise decisions for results.

 

  1. Enterprise-Solution Focused: Functions are horizontal, transparent, and

streamlined for decision-making to enable methodical implementation across the

entirety of the DAF. Incentives reward long-term value to the enterprise and strategy over short-term parochial defenses.

  1. Values Missions & Outcomes over Process & Functions: Integrated mission

success and outcomes are prioritized and incentivized above procedural functions or processes. Experts in functional craft must also understand the integration required to fully achieve mission objectives.

  1. Effective & Persistent Self-Assessment: Accurately evaluate, diagnose, and adapt to enable quick implementation of adjustments that maximize our comparative

advantages. Meaningful measures of effectiveness, readiness evaluations/exercises, and desired effects analysis provide a continual feedback loop into enterprise decision making. We must not be afraid to identify root causes and learn from our mistakes.

  1. Agile & Adaptative: Institutional capacity, processes, and incentives to rapidly

initiate, modify, scale or halt efforts based on their direct contributions to desired

objectives. Display the courage to accept and manage risks based on mission

priorities and return on investment.

  1. Effective Communication: Organizational intent and desired outcomes are

articulated both internally, externally, horizontally, and vertically, to key stakeholders and decision makers. Ensure a feedback mechanism to assess and adjust

connectiveness and effectiveness of communications.

  1. Rapid Execution with Precision: Required missions are accomplished quickly

while upholding high levels of accuracy, attention to detail, and discipline.

Information fusion delivers effective data and knowledge management at the speed of operations and decision making.

  1. Deliberate Integration: Efforts are integrated from the start and collaborative

throughout. Stakeholder perspectives are considered, including across the DAF, with OSD, the Joint Force, industry, allies, and partners.

  1. Resilient, Survivable & Sustainable: The institution and operational capabilities must withstand hardships, overcome setbacks, and continue sustained performance

despite fiscally constrained budgets and a peer pacing threat-both of which can now cause failure.

  1. Aligned & Focused Workforce: Requirements are well understood, and

recruitment, retention, education, training, and incentives are aligned to and focused on needs. Leaders and key contributors are empowered to drive organizational

change and reward positive contributions to the mission.

 

This re-optimization effort is the DAF's number one priority. We are already in

competition and cannot succeed by relying on the DAF's current organization and processes to maintain our competitive advantage. Instead, we must leverage the creativity of our Total Force and empower the unparalleled ingenuity of our people. Deterrence is the goal, but deterrence rests finnly on our readiness and ability to win. We must change now to be ready-today,

tomorrow, and every clay.

 

Frank Kendall
Secretary of the Air Force
One Team, One Fight

__________________________________________________________________________________

UPCOMING EVENTS

Career Progression Opportunities

NOTEWORTHY UPDATES

RRPA Application is Available in myFSS
Instructions for submitting a Reduced Retired Pay Age application are included both in the below Frontline and myFSS link:

ARPC RRPA Frontline                      AFR/ANG Reduced Retired Pay Age myFSS Article

TINKER TRAFFIC ADVISORY
A portion of Tailfeather Drive will be closed from Aug. 7 to Dec. 2023.
The parking lot at the southwest corner of Bldg. 9201 will be accessible during the construction.

To see other construction projects, visit https://www.tinker.af.mil/Home/Traffic-Weather-Construction-Info/

Dress and Appearance Changes
As of April 1, 2023

  • CDCs are No-Salute zones
  • Cold weather headbands authorized
  • Four operational badges authorized above USAF tape

See https://www.airandspaceforces.com/air-force-uniform-regulations-purses-beards/ for all
AFI 36-2903 changes

Express III Shoppette open on UTA weekends
0630 to 1730
– Beginning May 13th the Express III Shoppette down the street from 507th ARW HQ will be open for the remaining drill weekends of FY23.

Chapel services available on UTA Sundays
Event:
Chapel Service Date: Sunday UTA Time: 0715-0745, Location: Bldg 1094, 72nd MDG, Heritage Hall in the basement

Event: Chapel Service Date: Sunday UTA Time: 0730-0800 Location: 72nd APS Conference Rm.

Event: Bible Study Date: Sunday UTA Time: 0800 – 0830, Location: Bldg 1048, 507th Logistics Readiness Squadron, Conference Room.

Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program
Contact Tech. Sgt. Nicaela Garcia for more information about upcoming events at nicaela.garcia@us.af.mil

If you would like to submit information or photos to the On-final, email us at 507arw.pa2@us.af.mil