Aerospace Sustainment Directorates to play big role in AFLCMC

Published May 18, 2012
By Derek Kaufman
88th Air Base Wing Public Affairs

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio -- Ask anyone associated with the planning effort to standup the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center and they will agree on one thing: It isn't easy.

The concept of creating a single organization responsible for cradle-to-grave weapon system management has been proposed before, but not fully realized, said Col. Art Huber. Huber is Aeronautical Systems Center vice commander and the champion charged with overseeing the ongoing planning to ready AFLCMC.

The AFLCMC is an entirely new organization proposed to stand up later this summer. One of AFLCMC's signature elements is to provide oversight of most program office personnel currently aligned in Aerospace Sustainment Directorates at each of the three Air Logistics Centers.

Currently more than 800 people organized in various teams are reviewing every applicable acquisition, sustainment, and mission support process, who performs it and who the coordinating stakeholders are in an effort to mold an AFLCMC structure that will benefit taxpayers and warfighters alike. From contracting to personnel to engineering, it is a daunting task.

Today, the Aerospace Sustainment Directorate program offices provide important program management, logistics, and engineering support to assigned weapon systems, said Col. Shaun Morris, director of the ASD at Ogden Air Logistics Center, located at Hill Air Force Base, Utah.

"This involves coordinating product support for spares, repairs, and maintenance from a wide variety of government and contractor sources," Morris said. "We also keep in close contact with the commands operating each system. The ASDs perform detailed engineering analysis to study wear and tear, and identify needed modifications to meet designed service life expectancy. Finally we help deliver new capabilities to stay ahead of emerging threats."

Ultimately AFLCMC will oversee missions now performed by the three Aerospace Sustainment Directorates located at Robins, Hill, and Tinker AFBs, the Aeronautical Systems Center and Air Force Security Assistance Center at Wright-Patterson AFB, the Electronic Systems Center at Hanscom AFB, and the Armament Directorate at Eglin AFB. Additionally AFLCMC will include a newly designated Propulsion Directorate lead located at Tinker AFB which will oversee engine acquisition executed at Wright-Patterson and engine sustainment accomplished at Tinker. Including members of the 88th Air Base Wing and 66th Air Base Group, AFLCMC will have approximately 26,000 people working at some 75 locations.

Program Offices that reside today at an Air Logistics Center fall under an ASD and report to a Designated Acquisition Official. Under the AFMC 5-Center construct, positions in the current ASD staff organizations will be eliminated, but the program offices will remain and be aligned under an acquisition directorate and report to a Program Executive Officer in AFLCMC.

"Their role in the future will not change. However reporting relationships will change," said Huber.

Huber acknowledged integration of ASDs into AFLCMC is a vital part of the organization's cradle-to-grave approach, with the added benefit of providing a single point of contact for warfighters.

"This restructure won't be easy, but it will drive us to more standardized processes, foster a true life cycle management focus, and improve our goal to present a single face to our customers."

AFLCMC is a key part of AFMC's restructure which will reduce the number of AFMC centers from 12 to five. Officials estimate associated reductions in overhead costs and redundant layers of center staff will both save millions annually and enhance efficiency in delivering new aerospace capabilities to warfighters.