by Master Sgt. Gary Pomeroy
Air Force News Service
WASHINGTON -- The Senate confirmed Arthur L. Money's nomination Jan. 26 as assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition.
Money has more than 33 years of industry experience in direct support of the Department of Defense and intelligence community in the development of weapon systems, intelligence collecting, processing, analysis and exploitation capabilities.
He has also served as a member of the National Security Agency Scientific Advisory Board since 1981, and he has been vice president and general manager of TRW Avionics and Surveillance Group in California since January.
In a written statement submitted to the Senate Armed Services Committee in October, Money indicated his top three priorities beginning with a rigorous analysis of Air Force's long-range strategic planning to prepare for the 21st century, "while creating and forwarding the acquisition reform actions."
His second priority, according to the statement, was to "enhance the capabilities and competence" of the post-drawdown acquisition corps. He cited the need to upgrade the education and skills of those who remain, as well as those who are recruited in the future "because they will be asked to do more with fewer people and resources," the statement read.
"The Air Force needs a strategic plan to meet that requirement of increased productivity to become more efficient in technology and human operations of that technology," Money indicated.
His third priority was to "immediately" ensure that DOD's "space architecture integrates space systems, eliminates duplication and provides flexible and robust systems to satisfy the needs of the nation and the warfighter."
Money also emphasized a personal guiding principle of integrity.
"The word implies personal character and honesty in action and speech," he wrote. "Military plans and operations, as well as modernization activities, are all complex and each are absolutely dependent on truth in order to be successful."
Money replaces Clark G. Fiester, who was among eight people killed in a plane crash in Alabama in April. The interim assistant secretary, Darleen A. Druyun, will return to her job as principal deputy (acquisition and management) to the assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition.
A native Californian, Money and his wife, Sharon, have two children and three grandchildren.