Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink concluded a visit to Air Force Materiel Command and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base units April 3, reinforcing the importance of technological innovation and acquisition reform to ensuring warfighter readiness and lethality.
The visit offered Meink an opportunity to interact with AFMC and center leadership teams, and local installation Airmen and civilians who provided a comprehensive look at the critical airpower, technology and acquisition missions conducted by units across the installation.
"The work that is done here at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base enables our agile acquisition processes, turning cutting-edge concepts into the advanced capabilities our warfighters need to dominate any battlespace," Meink said. "The level of expertise in technology, engineering, program management and sustainment here are incredible."
During his visit, Meink received briefings from Lt. Gen. Linda Hurry, AFMC commander, and AFMC center leaders, gaining insights to AFMC's support to ongoing operations and efforts in support of modernization, acquisition management, testing and weapon systems sustainment. The integration of AFMC's six centers and their critical role in ensuring warfighter readiness and the cradle-to-grave support of every major weapon system was evident in these discussions, which also emphasized the important role each Airman and civilian play in executing these missions.
"The success of the entire Air Force enterprise, from the lab to the depots and flightlines on our bases, hinges on the talent, dedication, and empowerment of our integrated team," Hurry said. "Our Airmen and civilians are the heart of all we do, and together we power our Air Force."
In addition to his AFMC Headquarters visit, Meink met with several Air Force Research Laboratory units, receiving dynamic demonstrations and in-depth briefings on multi-domain science and technology capabilities driving medical and combat readiness.
At the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, he was briefed on ongoing efforts related to the acquisition of future weapon systems and had immersive visits with teams working on the F-47, Collaborative Combat Aircraft and more.
Meink also held an Acquisitions Town Hall at the Air Force Institute of Technology where he addressed ongoing efforts related to acquisition reform, rapid transformation and speed with discipline - critical to ensuring the Department of the Air Force stays ahead of the pacing threat.
"What's going to maintain both economic power and our military power is if we can leverage disruptive technology faster than our adversaries," said Meink. "If we don't innovate faster than them, we lose our advantage. This group is critical in making sure that doesn't happen."
He was joined by William Bailey, Performing the Duties of Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics; and Col. Timothy Spaulding, Program Executive Officer for Bombers, who provided acquisition and programmatic overviews in alignment with ongoing and future reform.
"The work that you do has tremendous impact," said Bailey, during a high-level overview of the ongoing acquisition reform process. "Acquisition is a warfighting function," he emphasized, with it critically important for the community to grasp the centrality of their role to departmental success.
In addition to AFMC, Meink's visit to WPAFB included in-depth discussions at the National Air and Space Intelligence Center which is the source for all departmental intelligence on air and strike weapons threats. He received briefings on missions related to homeland missile defense, foreign materiel exploitation and future campaign planning.
During the visit, Meink also awarded a NASIC analyst with the 2024 Harold Brown Award, one of the service's most prestigious science and engineering honors.
Meink's immersion tour highlighted the Air Force's and AFMC's commitment to modernization, readiness, and acquisition reform, reinforcing Wright-Patterson AFB's role in ensuring the Department's readiness for current and future threats.
