1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:00,000 2 00:00:18,680 --> 00:00:20,940 well , thanks for joining us today . Um 3 00:00:20,940 --> 00:00:23,440 Lieutenant General Tom Miller current 4 00:00:23,440 --> 00:00:25,700 sustainment center Commander and 5 00:00:25,710 --> 00:00:28,470 thrilled to have the first sustainment 6 00:00:28,470 --> 00:00:30,303 center Commander with us today . 7 00:00:30,690 --> 00:00:32,523 Lieutenant General retired Bruce 8 00:00:32,523 --> 00:00:34,357 litchfield . So sir , thanks for 9 00:00:34,357 --> 00:00:36,579 joining us . Well , thank you . General 10 00:00:36,579 --> 00:00:38,690 Miller's what a great , great time to 11 00:00:38,690 --> 00:00:40,579 be here and And an opportunity to 12 00:00:40,579 --> 00:00:42,634 celebrate all that has happened over 13 00:00:42,634 --> 00:00:44,801 the last 10 years in the command . And 14 00:00:44,801 --> 00:00:47,023 quite honestly since World War II , the 15 00:00:47,023 --> 00:00:48,690 maintenance and operation and 16 00:00:48,690 --> 00:00:50,634 sustainment complex that have been 17 00:00:50,634 --> 00:00:53,050 involved in keeping our air force ready . 18 00:00:53,070 --> 00:00:56,130 It is , it is remarkable to think about 19 00:00:57,210 --> 00:01:00,660 10 years goes really fast . Uh you know , 20 00:01:00,670 --> 00:01:03,650 and when we look at everything , the 21 00:01:03,650 --> 00:01:05,817 three complexes , the two supply chain 22 00:01:05,817 --> 00:01:08,470 wings , the airbase wings , all the two 23 00:01:08,470 --> 00:01:12,270 letters do for the Air Force . Um it's 24 00:01:12,270 --> 00:01:14,492 probably worth it for us at the 10 year 25 00:01:14,492 --> 00:01:17,380 point to reflect back on , it was not 26 00:01:17,380 --> 00:01:20,030 always structured this way . Um there 27 00:01:20,030 --> 00:01:23,850 was a vision for how could we make 28 00:01:23,850 --> 00:01:26,410 us a sustainment enterprise , you know , 29 00:01:26,410 --> 00:01:28,760 with things we talk about all the time 30 00:01:28,770 --> 00:01:31,320 now , like they've always been that way , 31 00:01:31,330 --> 00:01:33,830 common goals , the leadership model art 32 00:01:33,830 --> 00:01:36,052 of the possible , these are things that 33 00:01:36,052 --> 00:01:37,774 are just part of the fabric of 34 00:01:37,774 --> 00:01:39,886 sustainment center uh and have been . 35 00:01:39,886 --> 00:01:42,108 And if you've joined sustainment center 36 00:01:42,108 --> 00:01:44,770 and within the last decade there might 37 00:01:44,770 --> 00:01:46,770 be a notion that hey , it's kind of 38 00:01:46,770 --> 00:01:48,826 always been this way . Uh there were 39 00:01:48,826 --> 00:01:52,520 certainly outstanding pieces of what's 40 00:01:52,520 --> 00:01:55,050 now the sustainment center uh in their , 41 00:01:55,060 --> 00:01:57,338 in their structure since World War Two , 42 00:01:57,338 --> 00:01:59,616 just like General litchfield described , 43 00:01:59,616 --> 00:02:01,838 but pulling them together because we're 44 00:02:01,838 --> 00:02:03,838 providing one department of the Air 45 00:02:03,838 --> 00:02:06,570 Force readiness engine um was really a 46 00:02:06,570 --> 00:02:09,780 vision that I first learned about from 47 00:02:09,780 --> 00:02:11,891 General litchfield when I was Colonel 48 00:02:11,891 --> 00:02:15,270 Miller uh probably 11 years ago . Uh 49 00:02:15,280 --> 00:02:17,391 and we went on a journey for for that 50 00:02:17,391 --> 00:02:19,724 change to the stand up statement center . 51 00:02:20,590 --> 00:02:23,990 Yeah , so first you're absolutely right . 52 00:02:24,030 --> 00:02:26,880 We didn't just inherit this and started 53 00:02:26,880 --> 00:02:29,230 from scratch . You know , like we said , 54 00:02:29,610 --> 00:02:32,060 the complex is the depots . The supply 55 00:02:32,060 --> 00:02:34,282 chain piece has been around since World 56 00:02:34,282 --> 00:02:36,393 War Two . That's what they were stood 57 00:02:36,393 --> 00:02:38,560 up for for the mobilization to keep at 58 00:02:38,560 --> 00:02:40,782 that time , the Army Air Corps and then 59 00:02:40,782 --> 00:02:42,949 eventually the Air Force to be able to 60 00:02:42,949 --> 00:02:45,116 fight and win any place any time . But 61 00:02:45,120 --> 00:02:47,453 when we stood up the sustainment center , 62 00:02:47,460 --> 00:02:50,540 it was an evolution , but it was also a 63 00:02:50,540 --> 00:02:53,090 very big turning point for our kind of 64 00:02:53,090 --> 00:02:55,146 our nation in our apartment , in our 65 00:02:55,146 --> 00:02:57,312 Air force and it really was because of 66 00:02:57,312 --> 00:02:59,620 the budget crisis . So at that time 67 00:02:59,630 --> 00:03:02,870 there was a call to action to say how 68 00:03:02,870 --> 00:03:04,926 could we get more efficient and more 69 00:03:04,926 --> 00:03:08,860 effective ? We happen to be on 70 00:03:08,860 --> 00:03:10,830 an airplane coming back from 71 00:03:10,840 --> 00:03:14,030 Afghanistan , which I think we saw at 72 00:03:14,030 --> 00:03:16,030 that time Colonel Tom Miller on the 73 00:03:16,030 --> 00:03:18,870 flight line . And the four star asked 74 00:03:19,270 --> 00:03:22,670 what can we do as a command to really 75 00:03:22,670 --> 00:03:25,260 help the Air force save money . And 76 00:03:25,260 --> 00:03:28,050 that's when there was quite a few 77 00:03:28,050 --> 00:03:30,106 general officers on the plane and we 78 00:03:30,106 --> 00:03:32,050 said , well there's a concept that 79 00:03:32,050 --> 00:03:34,217 we've been thinking about for 10 years 80 00:03:34,217 --> 00:03:36,390 prior and that's to really take a more 81 00:03:36,390 --> 00:03:39,260 lifecycle , a more enterprise approach 82 00:03:39,260 --> 00:03:42,200 to how we do business and air force 83 00:03:42,200 --> 00:03:44,490 material command . And that was really 84 00:03:44,490 --> 00:03:46,712 the generation of the thought , this is 85 00:03:46,712 --> 00:03:48,601 now , is the time to do something 86 00:03:48,601 --> 00:03:52,340 different . And so what we then did was 87 00:03:52,350 --> 00:03:55,080 we created the five center construct . 88 00:03:55,090 --> 00:03:57,840 And what was really significant about 89 00:03:57,840 --> 00:04:00,130 that on the plane ride back is that we 90 00:04:00,130 --> 00:04:03,120 were asked , how do we go do that ? And 91 00:04:03,120 --> 00:04:04,842 the A . F . M . C . Commanders 92 00:04:04,842 --> 00:04:07,064 conference happened to be the next week 93 00:04:07,200 --> 00:04:09,500 and we said you're gonna have all the 94 00:04:09,500 --> 00:04:13,160 leadership within the command uh in one 95 00:04:13,160 --> 00:04:15,990 place and that would be a time that we 96 00:04:15,990 --> 00:04:18,400 would do a workshop turn the commanders 97 00:04:18,400 --> 00:04:20,630 conference from a briefing scenario 98 00:04:20,630 --> 00:04:23,040 that that we typically had an a status 99 00:04:23,040 --> 00:04:25,430 update into a workshop of how we could 100 00:04:25,430 --> 00:04:28,160 create the five center construct . And 101 00:04:28,160 --> 00:04:31,270 so on the plane back the boss said 102 00:04:31,280 --> 00:04:33,490 we're going to do it . And all of a 103 00:04:33,490 --> 00:04:36,010 sudden that commanders conference got 104 00:04:36,010 --> 00:04:38,870 turned from an agenda on its head to be 105 00:04:38,870 --> 00:04:41,037 a workshop for how we created the five 106 00:04:41,037 --> 00:04:43,037 center construct . And and when the 107 00:04:43,037 --> 00:04:45,148 sustainment center was was one of the 108 00:04:45,148 --> 00:04:48,180 centers , uh we made a decision at that 109 00:04:48,180 --> 00:04:50,124 time that we weren't just gonna go 110 00:04:50,124 --> 00:04:52,720 consolidate and do efficiencies for one 111 00:04:52,720 --> 00:04:54,990 time it was going to be . How do we 112 00:04:54,990 --> 00:04:57,212 actually get the most performance , the 113 00:04:57,212 --> 00:05:00,530 most potential out of of the national 114 00:05:00,530 --> 00:05:02,830 assets and capabilities and really 115 00:05:02,830 --> 00:05:05,190 resources of people . We had . And that 116 00:05:05,190 --> 00:05:07,350 was the genesis on a trip back from 117 00:05:07,360 --> 00:05:10,680 Afghanistan uh that you were actually a 118 00:05:10,680 --> 00:05:13,720 part of uh , when we went to see you in , 119 00:05:13,730 --> 00:05:15,786 in generating aircraft when you were 120 00:05:15,786 --> 00:05:19,340 deployed . What a sequence of events 121 00:05:19,350 --> 00:05:21,572 and I didn't know that until just now . 122 00:05:21,572 --> 00:05:25,280 So the , so I , so I left Afghanistan 123 00:05:25,290 --> 00:05:28,910 went to Hill uh to be the ogden A . L . 124 00:05:28,910 --> 00:05:30,910 C . At the time . Vice Commander to 125 00:05:30,910 --> 00:05:33,920 General Bush was there for about a 126 00:05:33,920 --> 00:05:36,450 month and a half for two months . And 127 00:05:36,450 --> 00:05:39,840 General Bush calls me , he says , hey 128 00:05:39,840 --> 00:05:42,240 tom you know , we'll get you a crummy 129 00:05:42,240 --> 00:05:44,280 plaque or something , but you don't 130 00:05:44,290 --> 00:05:46,512 work for us anymore . You're gonna work 131 00:05:46,512 --> 00:05:48,734 for general litchfield , working on the 132 00:05:48,734 --> 00:05:50,401 stand up of this thing called 133 00:05:50,401 --> 00:05:54,150 sustainment center . And uh he he has a 134 00:05:54,150 --> 00:05:56,880 very dry sense of humor um , and does a 135 00:05:56,880 --> 00:05:58,547 bunch of better job than I am 136 00:05:58,547 --> 00:06:00,602 describing of it , but I had no idea 137 00:06:00,602 --> 00:06:03,600 what that would entail fortunately for 138 00:06:03,600 --> 00:06:06,330 me , Miss Trixie brewer uh and 139 00:06:06,340 --> 00:06:08,730 outstanding . Uh just recently retired 140 00:06:08,730 --> 00:06:12,160 but outstanding uh , logistician 141 00:06:12,170 --> 00:06:16,030 leader , many things , um , had a 142 00:06:16,040 --> 00:06:18,580 lot of experience with how to do 143 00:06:18,590 --> 00:06:21,140 reorganization and understood the 144 00:06:21,140 --> 00:06:23,140 different roles and missions , 145 00:06:23,140 --> 00:06:25,260 especially within supply chain and 146 00:06:25,260 --> 00:06:28,040 maintenance within a FMc . And so we 147 00:06:28,040 --> 00:06:31,190 became co leads for you . Uh and and 148 00:06:31,200 --> 00:06:33,367 put a team together that would do this 149 00:06:33,367 --> 00:06:35,367 stand up of sustainment center that 150 00:06:35,367 --> 00:06:38,360 that team had more than 151 00:06:38,360 --> 00:06:42,140 50 Gs 14 Gs fifteen's 152 00:06:42,150 --> 00:06:45,870 in all locations and we we had 153 00:06:45,880 --> 00:06:48,810 three times a week uh production 154 00:06:48,810 --> 00:06:52,690 meeting , tele cons before teams and 155 00:06:52,690 --> 00:06:54,746 before anything else we would do the 156 00:06:54,746 --> 00:06:57,340 the telecoms to be working action items 157 00:06:57,350 --> 00:06:59,570 that the change to make sure that we , 158 00:06:59,580 --> 00:07:01,524 you know , would do no harm to the 159 00:07:01,524 --> 00:07:03,358 mission we were doing as we were 160 00:07:03,358 --> 00:07:05,580 transitioning and make sure that we had 161 00:07:05,580 --> 00:07:07,970 thought of all those things um that 162 00:07:07,970 --> 00:07:11,440 were necessary to make a center that 163 00:07:11,440 --> 00:07:15,350 was multi zip code and and went beyond 164 00:07:15,360 --> 00:07:19,260 the one location . Uh It there's 165 00:07:19,270 --> 00:07:21,381 there's some complexity to doing that 166 00:07:21,381 --> 00:07:23,492 and we and to throw a big net to make 167 00:07:23,492 --> 00:07:25,714 sure all the voices were heard from all 168 00:07:25,714 --> 00:07:29,190 locations and there were just numerous 169 00:07:29,200 --> 00:07:31,360 great incredible leaders that were on 170 00:07:31,360 --> 00:07:33,900 those teams that tirelessly worked to 171 00:07:33,900 --> 00:07:35,900 make sure that it went in the right 172 00:07:35,900 --> 00:07:39,880 direction . Yeah , so uh I may have 173 00:07:39,880 --> 00:07:43,670 been um guilty of reaching out 174 00:07:43,680 --> 00:07:46,030 to at that time Colonel Tom miller to 175 00:07:46,040 --> 00:07:48,262 bring him into the team and of course , 176 00:07:48,262 --> 00:07:50,484 Trixie brewer , but but I mentioned the 177 00:07:50,484 --> 00:07:53,250 workshop and General Hoffman was , was 178 00:07:53,250 --> 00:07:55,230 that then the the FMc four star 179 00:07:55,230 --> 00:07:57,570 Commander . And what we briefed to him 180 00:07:57,570 --> 00:08:00,770 during the workshop was a notion for a 181 00:08:00,770 --> 00:08:03,280 fsc concept of operations and how it 182 00:08:03,280 --> 00:08:05,710 would work , you know , and we didn't 183 00:08:05,710 --> 00:08:08,980 have any way shape or form the 184 00:08:08,980 --> 00:08:11,490 details . It was really , I'll call it 185 00:08:11,560 --> 00:08:14,090 100 ft 100,000 ft level of how we 186 00:08:14,090 --> 00:08:16,630 wanted the center to operate . But it 187 00:08:16,630 --> 00:08:18,410 was all about , I'll call it 188 00:08:18,410 --> 00:08:20,890 centralized planning and centralized 189 00:08:20,890 --> 00:08:24,650 control and decentralized operations , 190 00:08:24,650 --> 00:08:26,594 which is really how you got to the 191 00:08:26,594 --> 00:08:30,510 multi center operation . And you used 192 00:08:30,510 --> 00:08:33,240 the right word , the sustainment that 193 00:08:33,240 --> 00:08:36,960 we do at this level uh within the 194 00:08:36,970 --> 00:08:39,490 depots and within the enterprise supply 195 00:08:39,490 --> 00:08:43,320 chain is highly complex . It is , it 196 00:08:43,320 --> 00:08:46,710 is a very much an integrated and 197 00:08:46,720 --> 00:08:50,230 integration systems engineering problem 198 00:08:50,240 --> 00:08:52,410 that when it all works well , it's an 199 00:08:52,410 --> 00:08:56,120 amazing system to watch . And 200 00:08:56,120 --> 00:08:58,430 so that's what we wanted to do . And 201 00:08:58,430 --> 00:09:00,990 when I said that when we stood up the 202 00:09:01,000 --> 00:09:03,056 center , we didn't just want to take 203 00:09:03,056 --> 00:09:04,611 efficiencies because of the 204 00:09:04,611 --> 00:09:06,722 consolidation , we actually wanted to 205 00:09:06,722 --> 00:09:09,490 operate much better than we had . You 206 00:09:09,490 --> 00:09:11,657 know , the sum of the parts were gonna 207 00:09:11,657 --> 00:09:13,879 equal greater than any individual . And 208 00:09:13,879 --> 00:09:16,046 so that was the whole notion of why we 209 00:09:16,046 --> 00:09:18,690 we brought Youtube together to really 210 00:09:18,690 --> 00:09:21,630 run this the uh I'll call it the 211 00:09:21,630 --> 00:09:23,580 subject matter experts across the 212 00:09:23,580 --> 00:09:26,130 command and said , if you had a blank 213 00:09:26,130 --> 00:09:28,350 piece of paper , how would you do this 214 00:09:28,350 --> 00:09:30,572 better ? And how would you then do it ? 215 00:09:30,572 --> 00:09:32,628 And it was really part of the change 216 00:09:32,628 --> 00:09:35,580 management process . Uh I want to make 217 00:09:35,590 --> 00:09:39,520 uh pretty clear no one likes change and 218 00:09:39,530 --> 00:09:42,990 these uh I'll call it Federated 219 00:09:43,000 --> 00:09:45,320 Institutions have been operating for 220 00:09:45,320 --> 00:09:47,410 almost 50 years when this , this 221 00:09:47,410 --> 00:09:49,700 happened as independent entities . And 222 00:09:49,700 --> 00:09:52,060 so there was a great apprehension about 223 00:09:52,060 --> 00:09:54,004 bringing together , you know , who 224 00:09:54,004 --> 00:09:56,004 would lose the identity ? Who would 225 00:09:56,004 --> 00:09:58,004 gain the power , who would lose the 226 00:09:58,004 --> 00:10:00,116 power . How would we , you know , you 227 00:10:00,116 --> 00:10:02,338 can't , you can't do that . We don't do 228 00:10:02,338 --> 00:10:02,260 it , we do it differently than them . 229 00:10:02,910 --> 00:10:06,030 But by giving this group of leaders 230 00:10:06,030 --> 00:10:09,270 within uh now the sustainment center , 231 00:10:09,280 --> 00:10:11,400 the opportunity to build their own 232 00:10:11,400 --> 00:10:13,760 organization to build the processes to 233 00:10:13,760 --> 00:10:16,270 create the tool suites that we needed 234 00:10:16,270 --> 00:10:18,900 to be able to do it and utilizing the 235 00:10:18,900 --> 00:10:21,170 leadership models and methodologies . 236 00:10:21,170 --> 00:10:23,490 And in the early , I'll call it very 237 00:10:23,490 --> 00:10:25,601 early stages of what are the possible 238 00:10:25,601 --> 00:10:28,690 has turned into turned them from what I 239 00:10:28,690 --> 00:10:31,210 would consider skeptics into advocates 240 00:10:31,210 --> 00:10:33,321 because quite frankly , they were the 241 00:10:33,321 --> 00:10:35,880 architects of what we put in play . And , 242 00:10:35,890 --> 00:10:38,100 and I know , you know , this the other 243 00:10:38,100 --> 00:10:40,410 part was , was to get folks that we're 244 00:10:40,410 --> 00:10:42,980 going to be , I'll call it senior 245 00:10:42,980 --> 00:10:45,410 enough leaders , but not the senior , 246 00:10:45,420 --> 00:10:47,309 not at their , they had much more 247 00:10:47,309 --> 00:10:49,530 potential , Much more growth is , as 248 00:10:49,530 --> 00:10:51,697 you said , you're a colonel now you're 249 00:10:51,697 --> 00:10:53,990 a three star to identify those leaders 250 00:10:53,990 --> 00:10:56,046 that we're going to then grow up and 251 00:10:56,046 --> 00:10:58,157 take this command to the next level . 252 00:10:58,157 --> 00:11:00,212 And that's why I will tell you right 253 00:11:00,212 --> 00:11:02,379 now when I walk around and I still see 254 00:11:02,379 --> 00:11:05,960 things in play that we put in in place 255 00:11:05,970 --> 00:11:08,137 right at the onset of the command . It 256 00:11:08,137 --> 00:11:10,490 was because of the ownership of the 257 00:11:10,490 --> 00:11:12,712 leaders that now are eventually running 258 00:11:12,712 --> 00:11:14,768 this , this organization and it's so 259 00:11:14,768 --> 00:11:17,150 much fun to watch and we , we were 260 00:11:17,150 --> 00:11:19,317 learning , you know , I'm I'm thinking 261 00:11:19,317 --> 00:11:21,600 back to at the time , the three vice 262 00:11:21,600 --> 00:11:24,750 commanders of the three Depots , um 263 00:11:24,750 --> 00:11:26,694 we're Colonel tom miller , Colonel 264 00:11:26,694 --> 00:11:29,220 Stacy Hawkins and Colonel chris hill 265 00:11:29,230 --> 00:11:32,920 and we would do phone calls 266 00:11:32,930 --> 00:11:36,830 to learn what is now the radiator 267 00:11:36,830 --> 00:11:39,380 chart and is now , you know , and learn 268 00:11:39,380 --> 00:11:41,491 what is what we call now , art of the 269 00:11:41,491 --> 00:11:44,470 possible . And we were quite 270 00:11:44,470 --> 00:11:48,020 frankly students to some incredible 271 00:11:48,020 --> 00:11:50,020 civil servants who had , you know , 272 00:11:50,020 --> 00:11:52,076 from a systems engineering theory of 273 00:11:52,076 --> 00:11:55,210 constraints based process , not emotion , 274 00:11:55,220 --> 00:11:57,480 follow the facts , all the things that 275 00:11:57,480 --> 00:12:00,910 just makes sense . Um We were going to 276 00:12:00,910 --> 00:12:03,420 school , learning that a couple of 277 00:12:03,420 --> 00:12:06,170 times a week , uh learning from , you 278 00:12:06,170 --> 00:12:08,780 know , Theresa ferris Janice would 279 00:12:08,780 --> 00:12:10,950 Connie Davis , we're teaching the 280 00:12:10,950 --> 00:12:13,050 colonel's how to do that because 281 00:12:13,050 --> 00:12:15,217 frankly it wasn't something , we had a 282 00:12:15,217 --> 00:12:16,994 background from our field level 283 00:12:16,994 --> 00:12:19,106 maintenance , maintenance expertise , 284 00:12:19,106 --> 00:12:21,328 uh maintenance officers learned that at 285 00:12:21,328 --> 00:12:23,500 the field level , how to operate at an 286 00:12:23,510 --> 00:12:25,621 enterprise level , the complexity you 287 00:12:25,621 --> 00:12:27,621 were just describing and how to get 288 00:12:27,621 --> 00:12:30,940 synergy across multiple organizations 289 00:12:30,950 --> 00:12:34,100 to produce that readiness really , we 290 00:12:34,100 --> 00:12:37,320 became students of that and on the art 291 00:12:37,320 --> 00:12:39,770 of the possible . Now part of the 292 00:12:39,770 --> 00:12:43,720 description , since I was at a location 293 00:12:43,720 --> 00:12:46,000 where I was really learning that um 294 00:12:46,010 --> 00:12:49,130 there are extremely talented people 295 00:12:49,360 --> 00:12:51,550 that have incredible , had incredible 296 00:12:51,550 --> 00:12:54,910 processes to describe why it was 297 00:12:54,910 --> 00:12:58,120 important to have one playbook , um 298 00:12:58,130 --> 00:13:01,020 really use a sports analogy , you could 299 00:13:01,020 --> 00:13:04,940 be the best high school athlete in 300 00:13:04,940 --> 00:13:08,530 your state . Um you go to a college and 301 00:13:08,530 --> 00:13:10,697 that coach is gonna say , hey , you're 302 00:13:10,697 --> 00:13:12,474 really ridiculously talented at 303 00:13:12,474 --> 00:13:15,110 whatever position you play . But as a 304 00:13:15,110 --> 00:13:17,054 team , we've got to know what each 305 00:13:17,054 --> 00:13:19,166 other are doing . We have to have the 306 00:13:19,166 --> 00:13:21,221 same vocabulary , We can't talk past 307 00:13:21,221 --> 00:13:23,332 each other . Um you know , even worse 308 00:13:23,332 --> 00:13:25,554 than not understanding which each other 309 00:13:25,554 --> 00:13:27,554 saying probably the worst is to use 310 00:13:27,554 --> 00:13:29,499 words and misunderstand what we're 311 00:13:29,499 --> 00:13:31,554 talking about and go past each other 312 00:13:31,554 --> 00:13:33,777 and art of the possible has done that . 313 00:13:33,777 --> 00:13:35,943 I mean we go to each location and it's 314 00:13:35,943 --> 00:13:38,221 not just in the industrial environment , 315 00:13:38,221 --> 00:13:40,443 it's in Security forces squadron , it's 316 00:13:40,443 --> 00:13:43,350 waiting for , you know , Guard mount 317 00:13:43,360 --> 00:13:45,910 processes , it's the pharmacy and a med 318 00:13:45,910 --> 00:13:48,380 group . It's safety reports going 319 00:13:48,380 --> 00:13:50,324 through the staffing process , its 320 00:13:50,324 --> 00:13:52,436 hiring practices for civil servants . 321 00:13:52,436 --> 00:13:55,470 It's , it's all that and to have that 322 00:13:55,470 --> 00:13:57,820 common playbook , the common goals of 323 00:13:57,830 --> 00:14:00,470 vocabulary that we all know what each 324 00:14:00,470 --> 00:14:03,820 other means . That's changed too and 325 00:14:03,830 --> 00:14:06,163 changes sometimes hard but on the other . 326 00:14:06,163 --> 00:14:08,386 But once you're through that change and 327 00:14:08,386 --> 00:14:10,219 if you're involved in the change 328 00:14:10,219 --> 00:14:13,010 process , um there's , there's buying , 329 00:14:13,020 --> 00:14:15,310 there's , there's understanding and we 330 00:14:15,310 --> 00:14:17,690 certainly there's a generation of 331 00:14:17,690 --> 00:14:20,240 logistics , general officers that 332 00:14:20,240 --> 00:14:22,184 learned from that experience and I 333 00:14:22,184 --> 00:14:24,407 think it served our Air force even when 334 00:14:24,407 --> 00:14:26,518 we went to other positions out in the 335 00:14:26,518 --> 00:14:28,770 match comms and sometimes come back . 336 00:14:29,700 --> 00:14:33,320 Yeah , you , you you really touched on 337 00:14:33,320 --> 00:14:36,740 some really important elements of what 338 00:14:36,850 --> 00:14:40,530 really creates . I think that I think 339 00:14:40,530 --> 00:14:44,070 the magic of a fsc and really uh when I 340 00:14:44,070 --> 00:14:46,280 look at the sustainment , when we talk 341 00:14:46,280 --> 00:14:48,447 about the cost of readiness , it's the 342 00:14:48,447 --> 00:14:50,558 thing that this center can do more so 343 00:14:50,558 --> 00:14:52,613 than any any other entity in the Air 344 00:14:52,613 --> 00:14:55,070 force is to drive up readiness and 345 00:14:55,070 --> 00:14:57,237 drive down the cost of what it does to 346 00:14:57,237 --> 00:14:59,390 sustain that readiness . And you 347 00:14:59,390 --> 00:15:01,557 mentioned the civil servants and and I 348 00:15:01,557 --> 00:15:04,650 think we cannot 349 00:15:04,660 --> 00:15:07,150 overemphasize the importance to what 350 00:15:07,150 --> 00:15:09,317 they mean to this air force . Into the 351 00:15:09,317 --> 00:15:11,539 readiness of the Air Force whether it's 352 00:15:11,539 --> 00:15:13,483 the artisans , the mechanics , the 353 00:15:13,483 --> 00:15:15,594 technicians or the professionals that 354 00:15:15,594 --> 00:15:18,080 we have um that run the operation and 355 00:15:18,080 --> 00:15:20,191 leadership positions whether it's the 356 00:15:20,191 --> 00:15:23,050 engineers or or even the production 357 00:15:23,050 --> 00:15:26,450 specialist . Uh It really is what is 358 00:15:26,450 --> 00:15:28,630 the heart and glue of what makes this 359 00:15:28,760 --> 00:15:32,180 center run and what we did with art of 360 00:15:32,180 --> 00:15:35,220 the possible is we gave a science to it . 361 00:15:36,260 --> 00:15:39,720 The truth is is that for a long time 362 00:15:39,720 --> 00:15:42,360 and what we used to hear military 363 00:15:42,360 --> 00:15:44,640 leaders come in well we don't control 364 00:15:44,640 --> 00:15:47,550 it . The aircraft get gets to decide 365 00:15:47,560 --> 00:15:49,940 how the work is done or the repair 366 00:15:49,940 --> 00:15:52,670 components or you know the part 367 00:15:52,670 --> 00:15:55,100 failures try the supply chain . But 368 00:15:55,100 --> 00:15:57,890 when you dissect it it really is not . 369 00:15:58,360 --> 00:16:00,680 There's a there's a methodology behind 370 00:16:00,680 --> 00:16:02,460 it that enables you to take the 371 00:16:02,470 --> 00:16:05,260 variables and get them controlled and 372 00:16:05,260 --> 00:16:07,380 then make decisions based on math and 373 00:16:07,380 --> 00:16:10,480 science and operations and what we saw 374 00:16:10,490 --> 00:16:12,546 almost instantly when we went to the 375 00:16:12,546 --> 00:16:14,712 consistent science across the board is 376 00:16:14,712 --> 00:16:16,934 people can help each other . So whether 377 00:16:16,934 --> 00:16:19,000 you were at Hill working on C one 378 00:16:19,000 --> 00:16:21,160 thirties or Robbins working on C one 379 00:16:21,160 --> 00:16:24,280 thirties or at tinker working on B 50 380 00:16:24,280 --> 00:16:26,600 two's . The problems that you were 381 00:16:26,600 --> 00:16:28,822 experiencing , the constraints that you 382 00:16:28,822 --> 00:16:31,044 were seeing were actually very common . 383 00:16:31,044 --> 00:16:33,630 They were they were really we we had 384 00:16:33,640 --> 00:16:35,660 had prior to that attributed to the 385 00:16:35,660 --> 00:16:37,882 aircraft . But then but really it was a 386 00:16:37,882 --> 00:16:40,550 matter of when we were diagnosing it 387 00:16:40,560 --> 00:16:42,480 during the PDM process , what 388 00:16:42,480 --> 00:16:44,670 engineering support , what tools that 389 00:16:44,670 --> 00:16:47,050 we're using for . This gave us a 390 00:16:47,050 --> 00:16:49,240 methodology that we could share across 391 00:16:49,250 --> 00:16:52,520 all of the PDM lines . That was that 392 00:16:52,520 --> 00:16:55,140 was really wonderful . And then and 393 00:16:55,140 --> 00:16:57,340 then in the commodities piece of this 394 00:16:57,340 --> 00:16:59,350 and the parts repair , having the 395 00:16:59,350 --> 00:17:01,640 methodology for flow , understanding 396 00:17:01,640 --> 00:17:03,640 what the tack times were forgetting 397 00:17:03,640 --> 00:17:06,340 parts through absolutely critical to us 398 00:17:06,350 --> 00:17:08,517 and that fed the supply chain and when 399 00:17:08,517 --> 00:17:10,950 we really worked on the supply chain to 400 00:17:10,950 --> 00:17:13,380 get it tied to the flying our program 401 00:17:13,380 --> 00:17:16,310 to specific weapons systems , then we 402 00:17:16,310 --> 00:17:19,000 had the ability to synergize across all 403 00:17:19,000 --> 00:17:20,778 the operations . But maybe most 404 00:17:20,778 --> 00:17:24,410 important I think was we created I 405 00:17:24,410 --> 00:17:27,810 would say a an ability to be able to 406 00:17:27,820 --> 00:17:30,440 talk to the rest of the Air Force and 407 00:17:30,440 --> 00:17:32,730 at that time I will say I was very 408 00:17:32,730 --> 00:17:34,786 lucky and I got to go to the Coronas 409 00:17:34,786 --> 00:17:36,841 and General Wolfenbarger who was our 410 00:17:36,841 --> 00:17:39,600 four star always put sustainment as one 411 00:17:39,600 --> 00:17:41,656 of the main and key briefings at the 412 00:17:41,656 --> 00:17:43,822 corona to brief all the four and three 413 00:17:43,822 --> 00:17:45,767 stars that we had in the Air Force 414 00:17:45,767 --> 00:17:47,878 about the cost of readiness . What we 415 00:17:47,878 --> 00:17:49,933 were going to do , how do we operate 416 00:17:49,933 --> 00:17:49,920 better with the field ? How does the 417 00:17:49,920 --> 00:17:52,330 inspections in the field feed the depot 418 00:17:52,330 --> 00:17:54,441 so that they could be better and more 419 00:17:54,441 --> 00:17:56,497 efficient and turning it back and it 420 00:17:56,497 --> 00:17:58,630 gave us , I would say a hammer at the 421 00:17:58,640 --> 00:18:00,696 Air Force level , credibility at the 422 00:18:00,696 --> 00:18:02,696 Air Force level to take our art and 423 00:18:02,696 --> 00:18:05,330 science and be able to tell the Chief 424 00:18:05,330 --> 00:18:07,441 of staff and the Secretary of the Air 425 00:18:07,441 --> 00:18:09,719 Force how we were going to do business . 426 00:18:09,719 --> 00:18:11,941 And then most important when we started 427 00:18:11,941 --> 00:18:14,163 driving out costs and driving output up 428 00:18:14,163 --> 00:18:16,219 and we were given more capability to 429 00:18:16,219 --> 00:18:19,190 the field at less cost then then then 430 00:18:19,190 --> 00:18:21,410 that was the really what took off and 431 00:18:21,410 --> 00:18:23,270 what made this uh I would say 432 00:18:23,270 --> 00:18:25,400 mainstream in our Air Force time 433 00:18:25,410 --> 00:18:29,040 absolutely mainstream and watching now . 434 00:18:29,050 --> 00:18:31,520 Um So it goes after the science , not 435 00:18:31,520 --> 00:18:34,570 the emotion , which decreases people's 436 00:18:34,570 --> 00:18:36,792 defensive mechanisms because you're now 437 00:18:36,792 --> 00:18:39,790 attacking a problem , not someone's 438 00:18:39,800 --> 00:18:43,230 uh you know , personality or otherwise . 439 00:18:43,230 --> 00:18:46,060 And what I've seen um now in 440 00:18:46,870 --> 00:18:50,730 every match com is proliferation 441 00:18:50,740 --> 00:18:53,470 of theory of constraints based . Um 442 00:18:53,480 --> 00:18:55,720 It's not exactly the same . It doesn't 443 00:18:55,720 --> 00:18:57,498 look exactly the same , but the 444 00:18:57,498 --> 00:19:00,640 principles are absolutely the same . So , 445 00:19:00,650 --> 00:19:03,490 you know , half a four has worked with 446 00:19:03,490 --> 00:19:07,250 test track uh AMC Global Strike A . 447 00:19:07,250 --> 00:19:11,150 Cc . And others pack a few safety 448 00:19:11,150 --> 00:19:14,400 A . T . C . And F . Soccer . All 449 00:19:14,820 --> 00:19:17,990 um , applying theory of constraints 450 00:19:17,990 --> 00:19:21,130 based processes to field level 451 00:19:21,140 --> 00:19:23,473 maintenance supply and other activities . 452 00:19:23,473 --> 00:19:26,630 So I think at first there might have 453 00:19:26,630 --> 00:19:30,360 been , you know , a sense of , well for 454 00:19:30,370 --> 00:19:32,700 for three for , for art of the possible 455 00:19:32,700 --> 00:19:35,060 within sustainment center . Uh , of 456 00:19:35,060 --> 00:19:37,116 course you guys can do that . You've 457 00:19:37,116 --> 00:19:39,338 got people that are there for years and 458 00:19:39,338 --> 00:19:41,004 there's longevity and there's 459 00:19:41,004 --> 00:19:43,060 continuity and , and there's uh , an 460 00:19:43,060 --> 00:19:45,227 understanding of it and you don't have 461 00:19:45,227 --> 00:19:46,949 the turnover , uh , that the , 462 00:19:46,949 --> 00:19:49,116 especially on the military maintenance 463 00:19:49,116 --> 00:19:51,171 side that you might experience , But 464 00:19:51,171 --> 00:19:53,350 once some of the logistics , career 465 00:19:53,350 --> 00:19:56,630 broadening officers and other um other 466 00:19:56,630 --> 00:19:59,150 professionals that went to the field 467 00:19:59,160 --> 00:20:01,160 brought this , Hey , there's really 468 00:20:01,160 --> 00:20:03,104 something to this . There's really 469 00:20:03,104 --> 00:20:05,390 something to us figuring out what the 470 00:20:05,390 --> 00:20:07,223 constraint is optimizing for the 471 00:20:07,223 --> 00:20:10,140 constraint . And maybe it's maybe it's 472 00:20:10,140 --> 00:20:12,620 a facility , maybe it's a career field , 473 00:20:12,630 --> 00:20:14,963 maybe it's a piece of support equipment , 474 00:20:14,963 --> 00:20:16,852 maybe the $2,000 piece of support 475 00:20:16,852 --> 00:20:19,019 equipment is the constraint that keeps 476 00:20:19,019 --> 00:20:21,241 the $100 million airplane from flying . 477 00:20:21,241 --> 00:20:23,074 Maybe we should buy or get those 478 00:20:23,074 --> 00:20:25,241 available to the mechanic at the point 479 00:20:25,241 --> 00:20:27,074 of need . So the mechanics , the 480 00:20:27,074 --> 00:20:29,241 surgeon putting their hand out for the 481 00:20:29,241 --> 00:20:31,352 scalpel versus going in searching for 482 00:20:31,352 --> 00:20:33,074 scalpel is back in a in a room 483 00:20:33,074 --> 00:20:35,186 somewhere which a surgeon would never 484 00:20:35,186 --> 00:20:37,408 do . Once that started to take hold , I 485 00:20:37,408 --> 00:20:39,630 think what was really encouraging to me 486 00:20:39,630 --> 00:20:41,741 is it's encouraging but expected that 487 00:20:41,741 --> 00:20:43,852 the maintenance group commander would 488 00:20:43,852 --> 00:20:45,963 get that was really encouraging to me 489 00:20:45,963 --> 00:20:47,908 is the wing commanders to get that 490 00:20:47,908 --> 00:20:50,130 knowing that the wing commander and I'm 491 00:20:50,130 --> 00:20:52,241 thinking off the top of my head right 492 00:20:52,241 --> 00:20:54,670 now . Five wings and three different 493 00:20:54,670 --> 00:20:56,781 match comes that I know of that . The 494 00:20:56,781 --> 00:20:59,480 wing commander was personally convinced 495 00:20:59,490 --> 00:21:01,860 that that embracing this at field level 496 00:21:01,860 --> 00:21:03,930 maintenance will make a readiness 497 00:21:03,930 --> 00:21:07,340 difference . Uh And so that in in 498 00:21:07,340 --> 00:21:09,229 conjunction with kind of the Venn 499 00:21:09,229 --> 00:21:11,170 diagram of applying it within the 500 00:21:11,170 --> 00:21:13,350 sustainment enterprise and producing 501 00:21:13,360 --> 00:21:16,050 parts and software , commodities , 502 00:21:16,060 --> 00:21:18,660 aircraft engines , missiles all the 503 00:21:18,660 --> 00:21:21,610 above going back out to the field . Now 504 00:21:21,610 --> 00:21:24,230 you've got the synergy of this 505 00:21:24,230 --> 00:21:27,720 understanding , field level depot level 506 00:21:27,730 --> 00:21:30,600 enterprise level sustainment operations . 507 00:21:30,610 --> 00:21:33,870 And there's program offices that that 508 00:21:33,880 --> 00:21:36,200 have overlap and understanding there as 509 00:21:36,200 --> 00:21:38,367 well . So then when we look at how you 510 00:21:38,367 --> 00:21:40,256 manage the lifecycle of a weapons 511 00:21:40,256 --> 00:21:42,256 system , what are we gonna do going 512 00:21:42,256 --> 00:21:44,478 forward ? That common vernacular um has 513 00:21:44,478 --> 00:21:46,644 helped us and I think there's no going 514 00:21:46,644 --> 00:21:48,756 back and I think I think that's great 515 00:21:48,756 --> 00:21:51,120 for Air Force . Yeah . So I mean , 516 00:21:51,120 --> 00:21:53,287 listening to you , I have to be honest 517 00:21:53,287 --> 00:21:55,790 with you , it's great . I'll say 518 00:21:55,790 --> 00:21:58,780 heartwarming to hear that you're that 519 00:21:58,780 --> 00:22:00,891 we're making a difference for our Air 520 00:22:00,891 --> 00:22:03,113 Force because that was the whole intent 521 00:22:03,113 --> 00:22:06,820 of it . And so readiness . The cost of 522 00:22:06,820 --> 00:22:08,940 readiness , the ability to operate 523 00:22:08,940 --> 00:22:11,162 globally . The ability to integrate the 524 00:22:11,162 --> 00:22:13,384 supply chain in with the maintenance is 525 00:22:13,384 --> 00:22:15,607 just an amazing piece . But there's one 526 00:22:15,607 --> 00:22:17,718 other thing that I don't wanna forget 527 00:22:17,718 --> 00:22:20,600 because it's kind of really important 528 00:22:20,600 --> 00:22:22,767 and probably one of was one of my main 529 00:22:22,767 --> 00:22:24,656 priorities that each one of these 530 00:22:24,656 --> 00:22:27,880 centers are part of the community by 531 00:22:27,880 --> 00:22:30,780 which they live . I mean , if you think 532 00:22:30,780 --> 00:22:34,430 of Tinker uh and and how Tinker 533 00:22:34,430 --> 00:22:36,860 started it was a private citizen that 534 00:22:36,870 --> 00:22:39,640 bought the land . If I go to Robbins 535 00:22:39,640 --> 00:22:41,529 and I look at the creation of the 536 00:22:41,529 --> 00:22:43,696 Wellston depot or you go to Hill Field 537 00:22:43,696 --> 00:22:45,973 and the integration with the community . 538 00:22:45,973 --> 00:22:49,050 There's such a big community partner 539 00:22:49,060 --> 00:22:51,690 and I think that what I've seen and 540 00:22:51,690 --> 00:22:53,912 what I've witnessed is that they really 541 00:22:53,912 --> 00:22:57,370 now believe in the power of what a 542 00:22:57,380 --> 00:23:00,740 three star over this center , nurturing 543 00:23:00,750 --> 00:23:04,540 the locations has not just made it , 544 00:23:04,550 --> 00:23:07,750 I'll call it status quo . It has made 545 00:23:07,750 --> 00:23:10,470 it much better . And in fact , I'll 546 00:23:10,470 --> 00:23:12,526 share this one with you . I told you 547 00:23:12,526 --> 00:23:14,692 about the plane ride back with General 548 00:23:14,692 --> 00:23:17,200 Hoffman and his willingness to go 549 00:23:17,200 --> 00:23:20,970 forward with this . Uh there was a 550 00:23:20,980 --> 00:23:23,930 elected official who was opposed to 551 00:23:23,930 --> 00:23:26,480 this in a very big way . He did not 552 00:23:26,480 --> 00:23:29,780 want the his center to lose . 553 00:23:29,790 --> 00:23:33,050 Uh I'll call it clout that he would 554 00:23:33,050 --> 00:23:35,840 have and felt that the three star 555 00:23:35,850 --> 00:23:38,910 operating uh at a different location 556 00:23:38,910 --> 00:23:41,660 would would maybe minimize the 557 00:23:41,660 --> 00:23:44,380 importance of that , of that base . And 558 00:23:44,380 --> 00:23:47,370 so in terms of what we did was we went 559 00:23:47,370 --> 00:23:49,450 into that representative every two 560 00:23:49,450 --> 00:23:51,394 months and said this is what we're 561 00:23:51,394 --> 00:23:53,561 gonna go do . And then ever after that 562 00:23:53,561 --> 00:23:56,420 we report on the status . And after two 563 00:23:56,420 --> 00:23:59,310 years the elected official raised his 564 00:23:59,310 --> 00:24:03,280 hands and said , I was wrong . This 565 00:24:03,280 --> 00:24:05,830 was the right thing to do for the for 566 00:24:05,830 --> 00:24:07,774 the Air Force . This was the right 567 00:24:07,774 --> 00:24:10,052 thing to do for the sustainment center . 568 00:24:10,052 --> 00:24:12,274 And you have and your team have made it 569 00:24:12,274 --> 00:24:14,540 better for us to operate . So if you 570 00:24:14,540 --> 00:24:17,370 think about , you know , the not only 571 00:24:17,380 --> 00:24:19,658 what we needed to do for the Air Force , 572 00:24:19,658 --> 00:24:21,547 what we needed to do to raise the 573 00:24:21,547 --> 00:24:23,850 potential and delivery mechanisms for 574 00:24:23,850 --> 00:24:26,250 the sustainment operation , but then 575 00:24:26,250 --> 00:24:28,417 strengthen the community relations and 576 00:24:28,417 --> 00:24:30,830 strengthen the advocacy for the basis . 577 00:24:30,840 --> 00:24:32,896 I would go check , check , check and 578 00:24:32,896 --> 00:24:35,310 then maybe the third thing that we were 579 00:24:35,310 --> 00:24:38,620 really a priority prioritizing was to 580 00:24:38,620 --> 00:24:41,650 develop the acumen of the future 581 00:24:41,650 --> 00:24:43,761 leaders of the base . And I know that 582 00:24:43,761 --> 00:24:45,780 you have a big proponent and quite 583 00:24:45,780 --> 00:24:47,669 frankly have strengthened it well 584 00:24:47,669 --> 00:24:49,836 beyond what I had even ever a vision , 585 00:24:49,836 --> 00:24:51,891 the training mechanism so that every 586 00:24:51,891 --> 00:24:54,300 leader that comes into a fsc goes 587 00:24:54,300 --> 00:24:58,290 through a training program . And and uh , 588 00:24:58,300 --> 00:25:00,880 and I will say , uh , I can remember 589 00:25:00,880 --> 00:25:03,270 this first speech , I get uh , if 590 00:25:03,270 --> 00:25:06,020 you're just coming in new into this uh 591 00:25:06,030 --> 00:25:08,470 sustainment complex and you think 592 00:25:08,480 --> 00:25:10,369 you've got a bright idea to go do 593 00:25:10,369 --> 00:25:12,536 something , I want you to put that out 594 00:25:12,536 --> 00:25:14,591 of your head because you can do more 595 00:25:14,591 --> 00:25:16,536 damage than you can good until you 596 00:25:16,536 --> 00:25:18,702 learn how this all all operates and so 597 00:25:18,702 --> 00:25:20,758 you have to taking that to to a much 598 00:25:20,810 --> 00:25:22,977 bigger level and I think that's what's 599 00:25:22,977 --> 00:25:25,930 gonna really create the synergy and the 600 00:25:25,940 --> 00:25:28,051 kind of the flywheel momentum to take 601 00:25:28,051 --> 00:25:30,162 it to the next level . Because we are 602 00:25:30,162 --> 00:25:32,162 you are training the leaders of the 603 00:25:32,162 --> 00:25:34,384 future . You are training both military 604 00:25:34,384 --> 00:25:36,830 and civilian and and and and it's 605 00:25:36,840 --> 00:25:40,240 really putting out the processes and 606 00:25:40,240 --> 00:25:43,110 still making them even stronger so that 607 00:25:43,310 --> 00:25:45,532 you know I don't even think you've seen 608 00:25:45,532 --> 00:25:48,320 the full potential as much as what how 609 00:25:48,320 --> 00:25:50,810 great it's been operating to this point . 610 00:25:50,820 --> 00:25:53,330 So good on you . Congratulations . I I 611 00:25:53,330 --> 00:25:55,580 think that's the beauty of what the Air 612 00:25:55,580 --> 00:25:58,280 Force does right ? You know it's bad 613 00:25:58,280 --> 00:26:00,880 when it's sad when a leader goes out . 614 00:26:01,130 --> 00:26:03,241 But the great news is we have another 615 00:26:03,241 --> 00:26:05,186 one come in to take it to the next 616 00:26:05,186 --> 00:26:07,297 level and I think that's exactly what 617 00:26:07,297 --> 00:26:09,297 you're you're doing and that's what 618 00:26:09,297 --> 00:26:11,352 you're implementing . So it's fun to 619 00:26:11,352 --> 00:26:13,241 watch . I have to tell you 40,000 620 00:26:13,241 --> 00:26:15,352 person team doing that which is which 621 00:26:15,352 --> 00:26:17,519 is awesome to watch . So I was talking 622 00:26:17,519 --> 00:26:19,630 to some a cadet that was about to get 623 00:26:19,630 --> 00:26:21,852 Commission Commission an Air Force ROTC 624 00:26:21,852 --> 00:26:23,908 cadet . And what I was describing to 625 00:26:23,908 --> 00:26:26,074 him is that in the eighties when I was 626 00:26:26,074 --> 00:26:28,510 in Air Force R . T . C . I was thinking 627 00:26:28,510 --> 00:26:30,566 I was going to serve in an Air Force 628 00:26:30,566 --> 00:26:32,810 that was very focused on a peer 629 00:26:32,810 --> 00:26:36,090 adversary soviet union . Um 630 00:26:36,820 --> 00:26:39,640 I quite frankly did not know if you had 631 00:26:39,640 --> 00:26:41,960 asked me to name the countries on a map 632 00:26:41,960 --> 00:26:44,127 in the Middle East , I would have been 633 00:26:44,127 --> 00:26:46,349 challenged to do it to save a few . And 634 00:26:46,349 --> 00:26:49,670 uh as I entered into the Air Force the 635 00:26:49,670 --> 00:26:52,250 last 32 years I've been in the Air 636 00:26:52,250 --> 00:26:55,540 Force , we've been largely focused on 637 00:26:55,540 --> 00:26:57,940 counter violent extremism , a 638 00:26:57,950 --> 00:27:01,780 rotational centcom model . Um 639 00:27:01,790 --> 00:27:04,560 And now as we look at , you know , 640 00:27:04,560 --> 00:27:06,960 what's happened , uh you know , 641 00:27:06,970 --> 00:27:09,040 Russia's , you know , aggression 642 00:27:09,040 --> 00:27:12,030 invasion and war against the people of 643 00:27:12,030 --> 00:27:15,670 Ukraine . When I look at that uh it 644 00:27:15,670 --> 00:27:18,070 feels much more like , you know , the 645 00:27:18,070 --> 00:27:20,870 pacing threat of china Russia , these 646 00:27:20,870 --> 00:27:23,940 are pure adversaries , state 647 00:27:23,940 --> 00:27:27,180 adversaries that have um much more 648 00:27:27,180 --> 00:27:29,402 existential threat to the United States 649 00:27:29,402 --> 00:27:31,650 of America . Not that operations in 650 00:27:31,650 --> 00:27:33,761 centcom weren't important , they were 651 00:27:33,761 --> 00:27:35,594 vitally important but but from a 652 00:27:35,594 --> 00:27:37,710 readiness engine perspective , it's 653 00:27:37,710 --> 00:27:39,321 going to require us to think 654 00:27:39,321 --> 00:27:41,543 differently and produce differently for 655 00:27:41,543 --> 00:27:44,180 something that could be competition 656 00:27:44,690 --> 00:27:47,510 uh and potentially conflict with 657 00:27:47,510 --> 00:27:49,677 somebody that's on a that's on a scale 658 00:27:49,677 --> 00:27:51,788 we haven't seen since World War two . 659 00:27:51,788 --> 00:27:53,899 So what the things that we would need 660 00:27:53,899 --> 00:27:56,010 to do from a readiness standpoint for 661 00:27:56,010 --> 00:27:58,910 aircraft availability . Um The way we 662 00:27:58,910 --> 00:28:01,300 would sustain the field supply chain 663 00:28:01,310 --> 00:28:04,140 and doing that in an affordable way so 664 00:28:04,140 --> 00:28:06,196 that we're able to buy the readiness 665 00:28:06,196 --> 00:28:08,390 you've described so multiple times if 666 00:28:08,390 --> 00:28:11,280 you know , we're the difference can be 667 00:28:11,280 --> 00:28:13,280 made inside a sustainment center so 668 00:28:13,280 --> 00:28:15,224 that we can buy more readiness . I 669 00:28:15,224 --> 00:28:17,391 think the I think the United States of 670 00:28:17,391 --> 00:28:19,613 America is gonna need more from its Air 671 00:28:19,613 --> 00:28:21,113 Force . Um and I think the 672 00:28:21,340 --> 00:28:23,562 professionals within sustainment center 673 00:28:23,562 --> 00:28:25,784 in a great position to do that . Yeah , 674 00:28:25,784 --> 00:28:28,470 I think that um so yeah and we very 675 00:28:28,470 --> 00:28:30,359 much capitalize on that . The the 676 00:28:30,359 --> 00:28:34,220 beauty is um That you have 677 00:28:34,220 --> 00:28:36,430 10 years under your belt to perfect 678 00:28:36,510 --> 00:28:38,732 what you need to do to take to the next 679 00:28:38,732 --> 00:28:40,843 level to be able to sustain that high 680 00:28:40,843 --> 00:28:42,899 tempo operation . Right ? I mean the 681 00:28:42,899 --> 00:28:46,220 difference between the terrorist 682 00:28:46,230 --> 00:28:48,980 operation is , I know it's going to 683 00:28:48,980 --> 00:28:50,869 sound strange . It's really a low 684 00:28:50,869 --> 00:28:54,600 volume readiness requirement near pier 685 00:28:54,600 --> 00:28:58,490 is high volume and and and and it's 686 00:28:58,490 --> 00:29:02,260 gonna be long durations , high volume , 687 00:29:02,270 --> 00:29:05,570 everything got to be there . So 688 00:29:05,580 --> 00:29:07,960 um the 1st 10 years may have been the 689 00:29:07,960 --> 00:29:10,880 stretching next 10 years is where 690 00:29:10,880 --> 00:29:12,769 you're gonna move to the marathon 691 00:29:12,769 --> 00:29:15,550 sprint and and your position to do that 692 00:29:15,550 --> 00:29:17,772 as you could ever ever want to be . And 693 00:29:17,772 --> 00:29:19,772 you got the leadership Team to make 694 00:29:19,772 --> 00:29:22,200 that happen . So I think that's good . 695 00:29:22,200 --> 00:29:24,270 I think that you can talk about the 696 00:29:24,270 --> 00:29:26,230 last 10 years , but now what's the 697 00:29:26,230 --> 00:29:30,220 future hold and and And I think that 698 00:29:30,740 --> 00:29:33,330 that whether you like it or not , even 699 00:29:33,330 --> 00:29:35,552 in the next 10 years , the predominance 700 00:29:35,552 --> 00:29:37,608 of the force is going to be what you 701 00:29:37,608 --> 00:29:40,060 got right now , we're gonna add next 702 00:29:40,060 --> 00:29:42,450 new technology . But the predominance 703 00:29:42,450 --> 00:29:44,617 out there is going to be what you have 704 00:29:44,617 --> 00:29:47,120 and and most of that is sustained in 705 00:29:47,120 --> 00:29:50,120 the complex of of a F . F . C . It is 706 00:29:50,120 --> 00:29:52,287 the organic industrial base of the Air 707 00:29:52,287 --> 00:29:55,620 Force is in the sustainment center and 708 00:29:55,630 --> 00:29:58,480 uh so big responsibility , but uh 709 00:29:59,270 --> 00:30:01,492 incredible professionals that can do it 710 00:30:01,492 --> 00:30:03,714 and we have high confidence in them and 711 00:30:03,714 --> 00:30:05,770 general litchfield , I want to thank 712 00:30:05,770 --> 00:30:07,881 you for your time for coming here and 713 00:30:07,881 --> 00:30:09,992 spending it with us . Um there were , 714 00:30:10,140 --> 00:30:12,850 there were absolutely many times in the 715 00:30:12,850 --> 00:30:15,560 sustainment Center , stand up that I 716 00:30:15,560 --> 00:30:18,160 was working the task and and Trixie was 717 00:30:18,170 --> 00:30:20,337 walking me through , here's here's the 718 00:30:20,337 --> 00:30:23,240 next milestone we need to make . Um but 719 00:30:23,240 --> 00:30:26,360 I didn't have a vision for what all 720 00:30:26,360 --> 00:30:29,240 this would go and be put together . I I 721 00:30:29,240 --> 00:30:31,740 just I didn't have the , I didn't have 722 00:30:31,740 --> 00:30:33,962 the vocabulary or the experience or the 723 00:30:33,962 --> 00:30:36,610 knowledge of what it all could be , You 724 00:30:36,610 --> 00:30:40,290 were pushing us hard because readiness 725 00:30:40,300 --> 00:30:42,930 depended on it , We had to be 726 00:30:42,930 --> 00:30:46,230 successful . Uh and just the things 727 00:30:46,230 --> 00:30:48,397 that you learn in the journey of being 728 00:30:48,397 --> 00:30:50,530 a sustainment professional in the Air 729 00:30:50,530 --> 00:30:52,419 Force , you get opportunities and 730 00:30:52,419 --> 00:30:54,530 they're put in front of you sometimes 731 00:30:54,530 --> 00:30:56,363 and I want to thank you for your 732 00:30:56,363 --> 00:30:58,419 dedication to this organization , to 733 00:30:58,419 --> 00:31:00,586 all the people that you still go check 734 00:31:00,586 --> 00:31:03,330 in with unsupervised uh and go out on 735 00:31:03,330 --> 00:31:05,497 the shop floor and talk to the W . G . 736 00:31:05,497 --> 00:31:07,163 10 mechanic , that's making a 737 00:31:07,163 --> 00:31:08,941 difference every single day and 738 00:31:08,941 --> 00:31:10,719 producing readiness out of this 739 00:31:10,719 --> 00:31:10,340 building and the other buildings and 740 00:31:10,350 --> 00:31:12,517 all the locations . So thanks for your 741 00:31:12,517 --> 00:31:15,210 service . Well thank you for 742 00:31:15,210 --> 00:31:17,321 recognizing and I , I mean I told you 743 00:31:17,321 --> 00:31:20,720 and I'm very open about this . Um I may 744 00:31:20,720 --> 00:31:23,800 not wear my uniform every day 745 00:31:24,410 --> 00:31:28,090 anymore . Uh but uh there's a lot in 746 00:31:28,090 --> 00:31:31,520 me that that starts with the Air force 747 00:31:31,520 --> 00:31:35,310 blue , but a fsc is no 748 00:31:35,310 --> 00:31:38,060 question something that I will always 749 00:31:38,070 --> 00:31:40,910 always work to , to try to make better 750 00:31:40,910 --> 00:31:43,077 even if it's behind the scenes and and 751 00:31:43,077 --> 00:31:45,243 I don't wanna be that guy that gets in 752 00:31:45,243 --> 00:31:47,420 your way . But I do want to make sure 753 00:31:47,420 --> 00:31:49,642 that it's successful and you know , one 754 00:31:49,642 --> 00:31:51,809 of the kind of interesting things that 755 00:31:51,809 --> 00:31:53,920 questions that I get in the side note 756 00:31:53,920 --> 00:31:56,087 is you know this like you said this is 757 00:31:56,087 --> 00:31:58,309 a 10 year anniversary but but it's been 758 00:31:58,309 --> 00:32:00,531 a legacy . And you know when we created 759 00:32:00,531 --> 00:32:02,753 that shield , that shield was about two 760 00:32:02,753 --> 00:32:04,864 things , it was about recognizing the 761 00:32:04,864 --> 00:32:07,250 legacy that we had as an air force 762 00:32:07,250 --> 00:32:11,230 right ? So that the three jets that 763 00:32:11,240 --> 00:32:13,462 are taken off that that looked at where 764 00:32:13,462 --> 00:32:15,518 the three A . L . C . S . You know , 765 00:32:15,518 --> 00:32:18,130 even though the three LCS were once one 766 00:32:18,130 --> 00:32:20,510 time five , but we really had three for 767 00:32:20,510 --> 00:32:22,732 the longest point in time . But it also 768 00:32:22,732 --> 00:32:24,566 kind of represents the Air force 769 00:32:24,566 --> 00:32:26,621 memorial and the way the spires work 770 00:32:26,621 --> 00:32:28,850 and going to the clouds . So we wanted 771 00:32:28,850 --> 00:32:31,930 to honor the legacy of where we came 772 00:32:31,930 --> 00:32:34,760 from , but also where we're going to 773 00:32:34,760 --> 00:32:37,050 the future and the future is bright and 774 00:32:37,050 --> 00:32:39,383 the future is up and you always look up , 775 00:32:39,383 --> 00:32:42,810 there is no looking back uh the the 776 00:32:42,810 --> 00:32:45,032 team that you have and what you have in 777 00:32:45,032 --> 00:32:47,190 place . And really the legacy now of 778 00:32:47,190 --> 00:32:49,412 this command , I think 10 years you can 779 00:32:49,412 --> 00:32:51,357 have a legacy . The legacy of this 780 00:32:51,357 --> 00:32:53,523 command is is that um we're gonna make 781 00:32:53,523 --> 00:32:55,634 it better tomorrow than it is today . 782 00:32:55,634 --> 00:32:57,690 We're gonna make it better next week 783 00:32:57,690 --> 00:32:59,801 than it is today . And I think that's 784 00:32:59,801 --> 00:33:01,801 the , you know , when we talk about 785 00:33:01,801 --> 00:33:04,023 what the Air Force needs , what the Air 786 00:33:04,023 --> 00:33:05,968 Force expects and what the and the 787 00:33:05,968 --> 00:33:08,190 contributions you can make to it . It's 788 00:33:08,190 --> 00:33:10,301 always about driving to a to a better 789 00:33:10,301 --> 00:33:12,523 state of higher state , which is really 790 00:33:12,523 --> 00:33:14,746 why the aircraft are going up to to the 791 00:33:14,746 --> 00:33:16,968 space and up to the clouds and and that 792 00:33:16,968 --> 00:33:19,301 was purposeful . There was no uh it was , 793 00:33:19,301 --> 00:33:22,050 it was designed at this table and it 794 00:33:22,050 --> 00:33:24,670 was done so that we could honor the 795 00:33:24,670 --> 00:33:27,640 past . But also really understand that 796 00:33:27,640 --> 00:33:29,751 the future is unlimited and we can go 797 00:33:29,751 --> 00:33:31,862 as high as we want to take it . And I 798 00:33:31,862 --> 00:33:33,751 know that's what you get up every 799 00:33:33,751 --> 00:33:35,973 morning to do is to take it to the next 800 00:33:35,973 --> 00:33:38,029 level . So thank you for having this 801 00:33:38,029 --> 00:33:40,084 opportunity . Thank you for , I will 802 00:33:40,084 --> 00:33:42,307 say remembering the 10 year anniversary 803 00:33:42,307 --> 00:33:45,170 And what I want . You know , I can't 804 00:33:45,170 --> 00:33:47,337 wait . I really can't wait till we get 805 00:33:47,337 --> 00:33:49,660 to the 20 year anniversary and see how 806 00:33:49,660 --> 00:33:51,940 it's taken our air force to to the next 807 00:33:51,940 --> 00:33:54,051 level . And to be honest with you , I 808 00:33:54,051 --> 00:33:57,570 know that I know that we're as a 809 00:33:57,570 --> 00:34:00,590 country when , when you look at where 810 00:34:00,590 --> 00:34:03,110 we are right now , the world doesn't 811 00:34:03,110 --> 00:34:05,790 look like a very nice place , but I 812 00:34:05,790 --> 00:34:07,980 have the utmost faith and those that 813 00:34:07,980 --> 00:34:10,147 are serving , supporting and defending 814 00:34:10,147 --> 00:34:12,036 our nation . That we're gonna get 815 00:34:12,036 --> 00:34:14,258 through this . We're gonna find the I'm 816 00:34:14,258 --> 00:34:16,424 gonna call it the silver lining at the 817 00:34:16,424 --> 00:34:18,424 end of the tunnel . We're gonna get 818 00:34:18,424 --> 00:34:20,591 through it and we as a nation have are 819 00:34:20,591 --> 00:34:22,758 gonna be stronger for it . We're gonna 820 00:34:22,758 --> 00:34:24,758 be better for it , and the world is 821 00:34:24,758 --> 00:34:26,869 going to be better because of what we 822 00:34:26,869 --> 00:34:29,000 do and how we do it as a as a nation 823 00:34:29,000 --> 00:34:31,167 and and you're a big part of that . So 824 00:34:31,167 --> 00:34:32,490 thank you . Thank you .