• Email: AFSC.a1.workflow@us.af.mil
  • The A1 advises the commander on organizational actions; human capital strategies; workforce training and talent development, acculturation, mentoring and leadership; and civilian and military personnel policy and procedures. The A1 aids in the establishment and documentation of manning levels and organizational structures for forces assigned and attached to the center. Note: The title of the Directorate is mandated to include “Services;” however, the AFSC A1 does not conduct any Services functions.

• A1D Force Development Division
  • Provides oversight and guidance for all Center Workforce Development programs to include Workforce Development Policy, Guidance, and Planning, Acculturation, Mentorship and IDP development, Talent Development, and Training and Developmental Opportunity Programs

• A1DF Workforce Development
  • Delivers expert advisory services for Center leadership on active duty/reserve military force development, and critical operational mission man-day management, incorporating strategic vision and Air Force policy/guidance to promote career enhancement, advancement and promotion opportunities for developing agile/professional/highly skilled warfighters. Develops center-level policy and instructions for management of significant military force development subjects.

• A1DP Program Development & Sustainment
  • Provides strategic vision, guidance, oversight, curriculum development and program sustainment for Center civilian workforce education, training and development programs, and force support functional initiatives. Develops center-level policy for standardization of civilian force development subjects.

• A1K Personnel Division
  • Provides oversight and guidance for all Center Civilian Personnel Programs and Policy Development to include the Center Civilian Employment Plan, Workforce Management Advisory Services and Support, Performance management Policy, Guidance and Support, Position Management Guidance and Support, and Civilian Recognition Programs.

• A1KD Workforce Effectiveness & Management
  • Develops AFSC personnel policy, driving standardization and providing strategic oversight for programs related to workforce effectiveness and management -- focused on taking care of the AFSC workforce.

• A1KS Workforce Planning & Shaping
  • Develops AFSC personnel policy, driving standardization and providing strategic oversight for programs related to talent management, and workforce planning and shaping -- focused on taking care of the AFSC workforce.

• A1M Manpower Organization & Resources Division
  • Provides oversight and guidance for all Center Manpower programs to include Resource Allocation, Unit Manpower Document Management, Organizational Actions, MPA Man-Day programs and manpower consultation and reviews.

• A1X Plans & Integration
  • Provides expert advisory services on strategic planning, human capital planning, and AFSC pay and non-pay resources. Acts as strategic partner for AFSC providing technical expertise for policy, data analytics, and resource program management.

• A1XD Analysis & Integration
  • Provides technical expertise for human resource policy, data analysis, and technical process improvement across AFSC. Responsible and accountable for managing DP's alignment to strategic plan outcomes. Provides integrated, commander-level insight to performance of key HR business areas. Conducts analytical management and program studies to develop and recommend personnel program policies and continuous strategic and technical guidance for AFSC organizations and related activities.

• A1XR Resources & Operations Management
  • Provides resource management and functional expertise to Center leadership and senior/key managers of subordinate AFSC units.Establishes and develops Center policies and guidance. Provides resource management/budgetary controls and services and acts as Center Senior Functional Office (CSFO) for the directorate, while satisfying Program Objective Memorandum (POM) requirements, the purchasing of supplies and materials, and the management of internal human assets.

The A2 Directorate comprises professionals from the various sustainment functions who apply their functional expertise to inform the primary processes in their charge. 

A3/A4: The Logistics, Operations, and Civil Engineering Directorate is responsible & accountable for supporting the execution of AFSC’s strategy and workload planning, resources, process execution and performance management to achieve AFSC/CC integrated vision for a strategy focused organization. A3/A4 has inherent authority to oversee, integrate, standardize, and direct processes, resources, and organizations to achieve AFSC goals and objectives. Responsibilities include the Center oversight function for all Center Special Access Programs (SAP) in support of the AFSC depot maintenance and sustainment activities, the Center's subordinate SAP activities to include geographically separated units (GSU), and Center focal point for all MAJCOM SAP organizations.

• A30 Current Operations
  The A30 plans, coordinates, and oversees the execution of current SUSTAINMENT operations. Supports the flow of information by providing a centralized point for the handling, tracking, displaying, and recording of information for Commander’s awareness.

• A4C: Civil Engineering (Projection)
  Deliver on-target and responsive strategic facility & infrastructure planning, programming and execution oversight to sustain and enhance AFSC’s real property assets. Develop facility and infrastructure requirements plans and programs, and provide policy, guidance, and advocacy to sustain, modernize, recapitalize, and dispose AFSC's real property assets regardless of funding source.  Enforce facility maintenance, repair, operations, and construction standards across AFSC installations.

• A4F:  Product Support Management
  A4F is the strategic starting point for the acquisition/sustainment for new and legacy weapon systems, as well as horizontal and vertical integration for strategic business development. Provides strategically focused approach to early risk identification, potential solutions and/or mitigation to achieve successful organic depot maintenance repair, supply chain management activation and sustainment. Facilitates Title 10 compliance, enabling business development, industry partnering and inter-service agreements to meet mission requirements.

• A4FD Source of Repair
  A4FD is the centralized AFSC focal point for facilitating AFSC public-private partnerships (PPP), Title 10 compliance, business development and inter-service agreements. Provides governance / oversight / management of partnership agreements & PPP Industrial Relationship Management (P3IRM) processes for all AFSC depot maintenance partnering. Oversees AFSC Title 10 (AF Core 50/50) compliance & contract to organic workload opportunities. Integrates AFSC source of repair assignments and reviews AFMC TRC assignments. Facilitates Depot Maintenance Inter-Service Agreements (DMISAs) and oversee the AFSC Workload Approval Document (WAD) process. Ensures visibility, transparency and accountability at Program Office, Industry Partner, AFSC and Complex levels.

• A4FO Organic Industrial Base
  A4FO leads organic industrial base planning and congressional reporting for the Air Force. Responsible for depot optimization across the five investment dimensions ensuring readiness and long-term viability of the industrial base. 

• A4FW Weapon System Integration & Compliance
  A4FW is the centralized AFSC focal point for Major Weapon System Integration and Organic Workload Activations. Serves as DMAWG Co-Chair and collaborates with AFSC Subject Matter Experts to provide a strategically focused approach in early risk identification, potential solutions and/or mitigations to achieve successful organic depot maintenance and supply activations. Provides oversight reporting to AFSC Senior Leaders on cost, schedule, and performance aspects of the depot activation process. 

• A4P: Resource Integration
  Delivers mission support for military, civilian, and contractor personnel, manpower, funding, contracting, and business processes. The division ensures overall consistency, balance, accountability, and continuity of resource management across the directorate.  Serves as the execution arm for cross-directorate programs including, facilities management, business and financial processes, government travel, government purchase card, crisis and contingency operations, employee recognition, safety, contracts management, workflow process, training, and information technology support to enable the directorate to successfully accomplish their mission.  Provide Center Senior Functional Human Capital expertise and advocacy for the Logistics, Program Management, APDP career fields. The division accomplishes other assigned center-level projects in support of the Commander’s LOEs, objectives, and requirements.

• A4PT: Workforce Management / Development
  Provide Center Senior Functional Human Capital expertise and advocacy for logistics, program management and Federal Wage System programs; and support for the AFSC Logistics and Program Management APDP coded workforce, working in close concert with HAF, AFMC and AFSC organizations. 

• A4PR: Resources
  Responsible and accountable for the execution of AFSC/A4 human capital support, workflow, SIPR/Safe security, and recognition programs.  Defines and executes AFSC/A4 business & financial processes (e.g., travel, government purchase cards, time & attendance, contracting, building management, equipment custodians) empowering LG with resources for mission success.

• A4M:  Maintenance
  A4M is the overarching Center Depot Maintenance process owner and focal point for guidance, coordination, and support required to operate Depot Maintenance activities for Air Force weapon systems.Provides oversight and support for AFSC efforts to sustain and modernize equipment, facilities, and IT systems used by Depot Maintenance activities across AFSC.Responsible for Depot Maintenance productivity and capability program, including management of the Aircraft Battle Damage and Repair (ABDR) program. Provides oversight of information system requirements critical to performance of key Depot Maintenance processes. Provides Depot Maintenance expertise and innovation in support of AFSC and A4 strategic objectives.

• A4R Logistics Readiness
  A4R is the AFSC Supply Chain process owner providing Center level policy, procedures, guidance, and systems relating to requirements determination and execution, inventory tracking and reporting, asset cataloging, provisioning, stock control, warehousing, distribution, transportation and disposal. A4R executes functional oversight for USAF requirements and Supply systems for both wholesale and retail.  Provides Supply expertise and innovation in support of AFSC and A4 strategic objectives.

A6 is AFSC's Enterprise Center IT Office.A6 is responsible for all aspects of digital integration. Specifically, AFSC is the Digital Depot lead to provide secure connectivity to the industrial floor, transparency, and connectivity across the Enterprise supporting proactive equipment maintenance and equipment usage data; modernizes AFSC’s end-to-end Business Processes with Industry Leading Technologies integrated in a cost-effective manner; ensures efficient/effective Cyber Security compliance of AFSC's information technology (IT)/operational technology (OT) investments to include management of Depot Support System (DSS) boundary, hosting cyber tabletop exercises, and maintaining AFSC's cyber terrain list. Additionally, AFSC manages AFSC IT/OT Portfolio, implementing the Portfolio Management (PfM) four phases (analyze, select, control, & evaluate); implement Digital Depot OT solutions to include Industrial Internal of Things, Digital Infrastructure, Data environment, and Product Lifecyle Management (PLM) for Organic Industrial Base. Develops, implements, and maintains operations to support a resilient comprehensive cybersecurity professional workforce though providing strategic management of the Cyber Operations Systems (COS) functional workforce (military/civilian/ contractor) across the Center enterprise. Responsible for assessing current and projected Digital Depot requirements and workforce requirements determining gap analysis and strategizing to meet shortfalls. AFSC advocates and manages budget activities and funds management for associated workload.

• A6C Cyber Integration
  A6C is AFSC's Business System Integrator, providing functional requirements management, governance and operational architecture as well as the design, integration, deployment, and operation of all AFSC business system information technology investments for AFSC.  A6IS also leads modernization of AFSC’s business processes to leverage industry leading technologies in a cost-effective manner. Additionally, serves as the business system lead to advocate and manage budget activities and funds management for associated workload.

• A6O Cyber Operations
  A6O is AFSC's Information Technology (IT)/Operational Technology (OT) integrator for Enterprise Digital Depot solutions to include Industrial Internal of Things, Digital Infrastructure, Data environment, and Product Lifecyle Management (PLM) for integrating the AF's Organic Industrial Base (OIB).Ensures efficient/effective Digital Depot cyber operations to include providing an enterprise cyber view and partnership with AFSC system owners to assist with the remediation/mitigation of identified threats. Responsible for assessing current and projected Digital Depot requirements and workforce requirements determining gap analysis and strategizing to meet shortfalls. Additionally, serves as the Center lead to advocate and manage budget activities and funds management for associated workload.
   
• A6X Plans, Policy, and Resources
  A6X is AFSC's Program/Compliance integrator who oversees AFSC Information Technology Portfolio Management (IT PfM), guiding IT program and project managers, and collaborating with functional owners for data collection. Strategically manages the Cyberspace and Information Technology (C&IT) workforce, assessing current and future requirements, identifying competencies, and addressing workforce shortfalls through proactive strategies. Manages AFSC Depot Support Systems Cybersecurity Framework to develop, use, operate, administer, maintain, defend, dispose of, and retire DoD Information Systems.

A5 supports the AFSC Commander in defining the AFSC enterprise organizational lines of effort and objectives to meet the future vision of AFSC and maintain strategic alignment to Command and Air Force goals and objectives. Focal point for organic industrial base planning, strategic workload analysis, and governance processes. Serves as the AFSC strategic Command, Control, and Communications lead. 

A8 is responsible for all Air Force Sustainment Center strategic requirement planning. Oversees the development and presentation of Center Program Objective Memoranda (POMs).Provides single planning and programming point of contact to MAJCOM. Identifies and prioritizes AFSC capability gaps across the Enterprise and advocates for solutions through the Air Force Planning, Programming, Budgeting and Execution process. Center focal point for development planning.

A9 provides sustainment center performance assessment and executive decision support. Provides integrated, commander-level insight to performance of key sustainment business areas: worldwide supply chain management, depot maintenance, infrastructure support; conducts center-level analysis to assess & recommends synchronized COAs to improve overall center performance. Indicates how well the center is performing its mission and recommends opportunities for AFSC leadership to commit resources to improve future center effectiveness and efficiency.

• A5X: Programs & Requirements
  A5X leads strategic planning efforts in support of the AFSC Commander by defining the AFSC enterprise organizational lines of effort and objectives. The Strategic Planning Branch is responsible for the AFSC Strategic Plan, long range Strategic Requirements Review (SR2), Technology Acquisition Sustainment Review (TASR) Program Management, and rapid sustainment and technology insertion integration. 

• A8P: Strategic Plans & Programs
  Responsible for all Air Force Sustainment Center strategic requirement planning. Oversees the development and presentation of Center Program Objective Memoranda (POMs).Provides single planning and programming point of contact to MAJCOM. Identifies and prioritizes AFSC capability gaps across the Enterprise and advocates for solutions through the Air Force Planning, Programming, Budgeting and Execution process. Center focal point for development planning.

• A9A: Analyses & Assessments
  A9A provides executive level performance management and enterprise structure for decision-making and leads implementation of the Art of the Possible Constraint based management system for all organizations across AFSC.

• A9AA: Combat Support Analysis
  A9AA provides executive level performance management and enterprise structure for decision-making and leads implementation of the Art of the Possible Constraint based management system for all organizations across AFSC.

• A9AS: Staff Support Analysis
  A9AS The Studies & Analysis Branch provides objective, independent, rigorous, & defensible analysis to enable data driven executive level decisions for sustainment, logistics, and supply chain planning.

Professional Airmen resourcing today’s Air and Space Force missions and delivering knowledgeable service to Airmen and Guardians while using innovation, data-driven analysis, and technology to support and accelerate installations and senior leaders in a complex fiscal environment to fly, fight, and win and remain Semper Supra. FM capabilities provide enterprise-wide financial program integration and oversight for managed funds and financial management operations.

• FM Robins OL
  • FMC Cost and Economics
  • FMRD Working Capital Fund Accounting Maintenance

• FM Hill OL
  • FMC Cost & Economics
  • FMRD Working Capital Fund Accounting Maintenance
    • FMRD-DM OL Working Capital Fund Accounting Maintenance

• FMP Programs 

Oversight and management of financial functional personnel across the AFSC enterprise to include recruitment, workforce forecasting, resource requirements, workforce/career development, training, FM certification, mentoring, awards and Center Senior Functional Office roles and responsibilities. Serves as the base audit focal point.  Provides financial policy, propriety and procedures for AFSC. Manages directorate functions to include safety, security, war plans, emergency management, quality assurance and inspections.  Serves as AFSO 21, change management and Financial Management continuous process improvement focal point.  Serves as General Fund Financial Improvement Audit Remediation POC for the Center. Performs administrative and operational tasks aligned to CSS related duties in direct support of FM senior leadership and staff.

• FMA Appropriated Financial Analysis
  Develops, formulates, reviews, and submits budget estimates for assigned materiel, facilities, and logistics operations for the Air Force Sustainment Center; Central Procurement; Operations and Maintenance; Research, Development, Test and Evaluation; Reimbursement Customer requirements, Defense Acquisition Workforce Development Fund and Foreign Military Sales accounts for all AFSC locations and organizations.  Responsible for the overall financial management of appropriated accounts.  Performs analysis of funds utilization and availability, expenses incurred and authorized.  Advises the Commander and staff of issues with funding or expense authorization for approved programs across the AFSC.  Adjudicates propriety determinations, utilization of funds and expense authorization, and recommends financial policies and procedures consistent with financial resources.  Provides in-depth analysis of actual obligation variances to forecasts, and funding shortages. Responsible for the Center’s Strategy Planning and Programming Process (SP3); serves as the Logistics Readiness Panel Lead for AFMC.

• FMB Working Capital Fund Budget & Execution
  Provides Budget, Execution and Executive Decision Support to the Consolidated Sustainment Activity Group – Maintenance and Supply, along with General Support Division operations in the Air Force Working Capital Fund (WCF).  Oversees financial management policy, budget, funding, reporting and analysis to ensure the AFSC/FM Director has accurate financial data in compliance with DoD regulations and the Chief Financial Officers Act.  Responsible for Financial Management standardization for WCF across the AFSC. Performs special projects, studies and analysis related to the WCF.

• FMC Cost & Economics
  Prepares program office estimates, life cycle cost estimates, comparative analyses, and independent cost estimates for program managers and higher headquarters in support of resource decisions for management of weapon systems for the AFSC, the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center and Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center.  Accomplishes business case analyses that provide viable strategic business solutions to decision makers in support of acquisition and sustainment initiatives.  Responsible for the development of an overarching data science and analytic capability to support the AFSC/FM staff and other financial management related organizations as appropriate. Prepares the Economic Impact Assessment detailing the economic impact of Tinker, Robins or Hill AFB on the "State" and its local metropolitan economies.  Provides program policy and procedures guidance and consolidates input for FM Operating Location Directors and other FM senior leaders to answer SAF/FM, AFMC/FM, AFSC/CC inquiries, when required.
   
• FMR Working Capital Fund Accounting
  Financial management accounting oversight, policy, funding, accounting, reporting, and analysis over the Consolidated Sustainment Activity Group – Maintenance, Supply, and General Support Division assuring the AFSC/FM Director of documented standardized financial processes provide accurate financial data in compliance with DoD regulations. AFSC Air Force Working Capital Fund (WCF) Financial Improvement Audit Remediation (FIAR) lead including documenting and implementing Corrective Action Plans supporting Independent Public Accounting FIAR activity requirements. AFSC lead for WCF Enterprise Resource Planning Initiatives and accounting changes providing business process re-engineering and procedure guidance consolidation for AFSC/FM or HHQ when required.

• FMRA Accounting Oversight & Data Analysis
  Serves as the Financial Improvement Audit Remediation (FIAR) integration lead over the Working Capital Fund Consolidated Sustainment Activity Group and General Support Division programs. Provides integrations support between the Air Logistics Centers, Supply Wings, Service Level Providers, HQ AFMC and Independent Public Auditor supporting financial statement audit requirements. Maintain standard accounting operations Maintenance Repair and Overhaul product manager providing integration between HQ AFMC and System Implementor supporting development, test, change management, implementation & AFSC/FM goal auditable financial statements.

• FMRD Working Capital Fund Accounting Maintenance
  Provides Depot Maintenance accounting services and oversight for the OC Air Logistic Complex, Defense Financial Accounting Service, and AFSC/FM.  Serves as the Defense Industrial Financial Management System functional office of primary responsibility for cost accounting, funding, billing, fixed assets and general ledger/subsidiary reconciliation to facilitate full costing and compliance with DoD regulations. 
  
  Responsible for oversight and management of Financial Improvement Audit Remediation activities, Internal Controls, Maintenance Repair and Overhaul test and implementation support related to accounting operations.

• FMR-WP OL Working Capital Fund Accounting

An A-Staff assigns a designation to functions and groups them in a way that makes sense. The A designator stands for Air Force and the number attached to it stands for the function. The numbers assigned to functions are the same or very similar across services, so it makes communication between armed services easier. For example, 1 always relates to manpower and personnel, so our Personnel Directorate will become A1, the same way N1 is personnel services for the Navy and J1 is personnel services in a joint environment.​

Adopting an A-Staff structure at AFSC will help the center better integrate across the DAF to support broader sustainment policy and strategy implementation, as well as rebalance internally to focus more on strategy and planning. It will also improve communication with stakeholders and help customers accustomed to an A-Staff find and access the support they need. Staff functions at Headquarters Air Force, major commands and warfighting headquarters all share the same A-Staff structure. The structure closely mirrors the Army's G-Staff, Navy's N-Staff, and the joint J-Staff, which helps the Air Force optimize internal communication and communicate more efficiently with the other services and the joint world.

1. AFSC is not structurally optimized to provide well-reasoned strategy, planning and programming expertise in support of DAF sustainment policy and strategy.

2. The current AFSC organizational construct is foreign to other service organizations, resulting in chronic lack of understanding of key entry points and mission alignments. 

In essence, we are installing a layer of support expertise that pulls together the capability of the AFSC enterprise and focuses it on installation and DAF sustainment mission needs. We will shift some people and some organizational capabilities to staff and operationalize five A-Staff functions. They will be the prime interface with stakeholders both within and outside the DAF. With this simple reorganization, we will provide our customers with a clear pathway to our expertise and capabilities and will dramatically improve our ability to integrate and support the warfighter at all levels.​

a. SES: No; the HQ AFSC staff will retain four SES authorizations (currently including: AFSC Executive Director).

b. We do not expect major impacts on colonel, GS-15, and CMSgt authorizations, although there may be some modest AFSC/job series adjustments as the A-staff construct matures.

c. Full laydown of proposed changes will be part of IOC/FOC.

The planning for AFSC to transition to the Air Force Forces (AFFOR) staff, or A-Staff structure began in September of 2022. We will stand up the provisional version of A-staff no later than July 1, 2024, with the over-arching structure set for A1, A2, A3/4, A6, A5/8/9. This will enable us to gather some early lessons-learned before we establish IOC on Sep. 3 and then FOC no later than Dec. 31.​

a. The HQ AFSC staff will transform from organizing around a DoD-unique nomenclature consisting of four unique directorates (DP/DZ, LG, IN and FM/FZ), to a Napoleonic A-staff construct consisting initially of A1, A2, A3/4, A5/8/9, A6, and FM – this will eliminate long-standing confusion, both external and internal to AFSC.

b. The HQ AFSC staff will move away from largely functionally aligned divisions to mostly cross-functional teams within branches and divisions which will provide cross-cutting integration between and among sustainment portfolios.

c. The reorganization will result in AFSC growing capacity to lead and inform sustainment strategy, planning and programming efforts DAF-wide.

Planning is underway to declare Initial Operational Capability in September 2024 with the goal of achieving Full Operational Capability, Dec. 31. During that time, AFSC will execute a host of milestones necessary to implement the reorganization. Those milestones include realigning some positions to the A-Staff construct, developing operational guidance and facility footprints, communicating the change with our stakeholders and much more.​

The reorganization is primarily happening at the headquarters level. AFSC wings and complexes will remain largely unchanged. A small number of positions may migrate to/from AFSC units to align enterprise capabilities more properly. PSUs will remain functionally aligned (civil engineering, contracting, security forces, and services). AFSC detachments will remain aligned to the Air Force major commands, Air Force District of Washington, and Space Force headquarters.​

Only small parts of the special staff are part of the A-Staff reorganization. The AFSC Special Staff will continue providing executive service, orderly room support, and other key tasks as assigned by the commander. The AFSC Special Staff includes the Director of Staff (DS), Historian (HO), Inspector General (IG), Information Protection (IP), Judge Advocate (JA), Public Affairs (PA), Safety (SE), and Small Business (SB).​

a. We do not expect PEs or funding alignment for sustainment requirements to change.

b. Some internal roles and responsibilities are expected to change because of the reorganization. For example, a division chief currently working in a functionally aligned workspace may move to a cross-functional strategy/planning/programming role.

There are no plans for anyone having to move to a different work center or relocate to a different geographical location because of the A-Staff reorganization. The only change that will take place is each department’s reporting structure. The job you had before the A-Staff reorganization will be the same one afterwards.​

This is a reorganization of roles and some responsibilities. We do not anticipate reduced staffing because of this effort.

We expect to complete the A-Staff reorganization within current staffing limits.

During IOC, we will evaluate workflows and processes to streamline and strengthen our ability to deliver sustainment support. There may be some changes as we find better ways to do business.

a. This reorganization should positively impact external stakeholders’ business processes by streamlining and simplifying entry while bringing more discipline and consistency in outputs.

b. We do not anticipate any negative impacts to units external to AFSC, save for potential effects of initial reframing associated with any major change effort.

c. Although the reorganization primarily focuses on realigning/synchronizing capabilities within the HQ AFSC staff, a small number of positions may migrate to/from AFSC primary subordinate units to align enterprise capabilities more properly. That determination will be part of IOC/FOC.

a. This reorganization is another important step as AFSC matures from an idea born out of the necessity/efficiency to reduce HQ staff DAF-wide, into an organization that capably shapes and informs strategy, planning and programming for the department’s sustainment enterprise.

b. Reshaping the HQ as an A-staff will vastly improve accessibility/comprehension both inside and outside of the formation.

c. Through this reorganization, AFSC will transform into an organization capable of handling current operations while simultaneously balancing strategy, planning and programming efforts across DAF sustainment portfolios.

d. This is the right time, given CSAF’s focus on A-staff development across the Air Force, AFMC/CC direction to better integrate across AFMC Centers and with our mission partners, and an AFSC command team committed to fixing structural issues now, particularly considering a potential near-term fight.