Released: Dec 17, 1996
"Air Force airpower is actively engaged whenever national command authorities commit troops or resources," said Col. Al Nelson, chief of the Air Force Organization Division, Directorate of Programs and Evaluation, in the Pentagon. "This restructure will provide better support to the troops engaged around the world. In addition, the new organization will help take the Air Force into the 21st century and further enhance the role of airpower."
A specific focus of the Air Staff reorganization is the formation of a new direct-reporting unit with responsibility for force protection. The new direct-reporting unit will focus on quick and effective responses to protect airmen around the world.
One change restructures the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations so the staff can focus on day-to-day operations and policy. Operations will control functions in intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; weather; command-and-control and operations. It will also have a single focal point to address nuclear and other counter-proliferation policy matters.
Incorporating Intelligence into Operations, according to senior officials, gives the Air Force one single point of contact for Intelligence to work national issues. It will also lead to creation of an information-operations culture.
The intell-ops merger, the officials said, "shows the troops that the future of Air Force people involved in information -- such as reconnaissance, surveillance, intelligence, etc. -- is enhanced, not reduced."
The Operations restructuring, Nelson said, provides the opportunity to define Air Force requirements better and participate in the joint policy and oversight activities.
Operations will also maintain a strong, focused approach to joint issues. At the same time, it will make sure any requirements encompass the entire range of Air Force core competencies.
Another change will centralize programming and planning processes under a new DCS for Plans and Programs.
The Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Programs was created to bed down all long-range planning work. This institutionalizes the revitalized long-range planning process. It also ties the long-range plan into the programming plan to meet national objectives.
Plans and Programs will also provide force-planning tools for the entire programming process. At the same time, it will formalize strategic outsourcing and privatization work.
Maj. Gen. John W. Handy, Air Force director of programs and evaluations, said the plans and programming revamp offers a good example of the benefits of the overall Air Staff reorganization.
"The joining of the plans and programs team under a single point of contact adds clarity to our warfighter vision and the tools to bring that vision to reality."
This is the first Air Staff reorganization since 1991. "The Air Staff reorganization promotes clear lines of responsibility, authority and accountability," Nelson said. "It will further improve the decision-making process and senior leadership support to our day-to-day operations and long-range planning efforts."
Nelson said the reorganization will also streamline the Air Force Headquarters budget-building process. "Integrating all strategic planning and programming functions into the new Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Programs," Nelson said, "will enhance this process. We want to better relate our force programs to our 21st century vision."
"While we restructure the Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications and Information," Nelson said, "we create the new Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Programs."
The following are other Air Staff changes:
-- Installations and Logistics. "An important part of the restructure is the creation of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Installations and Logistics," Nelson said. "This will for the first time provide an integrated function to focus on installation issues at wing level."
Installations and Logistics will include services, civil engineer, communications and information management, bases and units, maintenance, transportation, supply and logistics support.
-- Air Force Communications and Information Center. From the Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications and Information arose the Air Force Communications and Information Center. This direct-reporting unit will be responsible for systems management and design issues. The center's commander will also focus on corporate structure issues and perform the deputy chief information officer functions.
-- Air Force Doctrine Center. This center was restructured to create a direct-reporting unit. The current center will shift from Langley Air Force Base, Va., to Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. Included in the restructure is the consolidation of doctrine functions from this headquarters and Air University into the new direct-reporting unit.
The center will promote doctrinal awareness across all Air Force ranks and in the joint arena. Nelson said this "represents a solid commitment by senior leaders to put all disparate pieces of doctrine together under one roof with one voice."