AIR FORCE LAUNCHES HEADQUARTERS TRANSFORMATION
December 18, 2001

The Air Force announced today a new initiative to transform Headquarters Air Force (HAF) into a more streamlined and effective organization. This will allow processes and staff arrangements to be put in place to cultivate efficiencies. The goals of this reorganization are to improve business processes, eliminate unnecessary bureaucratic duplication and oversight, and align appropriate headquarters functions in support of the nation’s warfighters.
“Along with our colleagues in the U.S. Army, we are closely aligning our civilian and uniformed staffs to speed decision making, and to facilitate effective handling of multiple issues ranging from Air Force Department management issues to providing support for Operations Noble Eagle and Enduring Freedom” said James G. Roche, secretary of the Air Force. “This headquarters transformation reflects the need for all of us in government to be more agile and efficient,” said Roche. “The secretary of Defense has charged us with the task of working effectively together to execute our joint responsibilities to provide global reconnaissance and strike capabilities for this nation.”

One such enhancement will be the formation of a new deputy chief of staff for Warfighting Integration. Highlighting the growing importance of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR), especially as a result of the war on terrorism, this office will focus management attention and allow us to modernize and integrate C2, C4, and ISR systems and provide an effective approach for managing this critical capability.

Another objective of the headquarters transformation is to fully enable the Air Force, through the under secretary, to fulfill its responsibilities as DoD’s executive agent for space programs. This will facilitate the effective management of all classified and unclassified space programs in the Department of Defense and the National Reconnaissance Office.

The Air Force headquarters transformation is entirely consistent with existing legislation. The effort reflects an integrated product team approach that has proven to be highly successful in private industry. This enterprise architecture for managing our department will extend this same teamwork concept throughout the secretariat and Air Staff by closely linking military and civilian organizations.

“We owe it to our people to reduce workload by ending duplicative staffing efforts on the secretariat and Air Staff,” said Gen. John Jumper, Air Force chief of staff. “We are confident this initiative will help us break down barriers, improve communication, and create a more integrated and effective staff.

“To the world outside the beltway, this should be a transparent change, but what it will do is improve the way we are organized to train, organize and equip the world’s greatest air and space force,” the chief said. “For example, the people who plan and program the Air Force budget will be better aligned to have closer relationships with the people who help execute the budget. This improved contact will result in a better way to do our business.”

The implementation of this initiative will begin immediately.

For more information, contact Air Force Public Affairs at (703) 695-0640.