An official website of the United States government
Here's how you know
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Headquarters AFMC restructures A-staff directorates

  • Published
  • By John Scaggs
  • Air Force Materiel Command Public Affairs
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio --  Effective Feb. 13, Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command realigned its A-staff directorates to more closely resemble the Air Staff’s A-staff structure. 

Gen. T. Michael Moseley, Air Force Chief of Staff, agreed to AFMC’s proposed A-staff alignment in a Jan. 11 memorandum. 

Notable changes include: 

> A8, formerly the Directorate of Financial Management, reverted to FM. 

> A5, formerly the Directorate of Plans and Programs (XP), is now the new A8, Directorate of Strategic Plans and Programs. 

> A9, formerly the Directorate of Capabilities Integration and Transformation (XR), became A5. This new A5 Directorate linked with AFMC’s former A2 Intelligence Division to form A2/5, Directorate of Intelligence and Requirements. 

Additionally, A1 is projected to become the Directorate of Manpower and Personnel sometime between April and June. Currently A1 is the Directorate of Personnel (DP). The manpower function will be part of the new A8, Directorate of Strategic Plans and Programs, until it transitions to A1. 

At the directorate level, Engineering and Technical Management (EN) and Contracting (PK) remain unchanged. Also unchanged are the staff offices for History (HO), Chaplain (HC), Inspector General (IG), Legal (JA), Public Affairs (PA), Safety (SE) and Surgeon General (SG). (See accompanying graphic for AFMC A-staff Directorates) 

AFMC officials say the organizational changes will be transparent to most Airmen but at the same time will be a fundamental improvement to the headquarters structure. 

“The actual change will not impact Headquarters AFMC’s support to our field units,” said Col. Dan Badger, chief of the Manpower Division at AFMC. “We believe the command’s work force will see improved communications up and down the chain of command, including a better linkage to how the joint world operates.” 

The move to an A-staff structure began in March 2005 when then-Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper approved a document that established the Warfighting Headquarters concept. The intent was to provide command and control of air and space power across the full range of military operations directed by a Joint Force commander. 

AFMC initiated the A-staff structure on Oct. 1, 2005. Colonel Badger said the latest modifications should be the final step to AFMC’s A-staff structure for the foreseeable future. 

“The Air Staff settled on a final structure in January 2006 and we’ve aligned ourselves appropriately,” the colonel said. 

Colonel Badger emphasized that AFMC is not reorganizing its headquarters. Other than the realignment of manpower and formation of the new A1, Manpower and Personnel Directorate, there are no anticipated relocations or reassignments of people based on the A-staff restructuring.