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Turning change into opportunity to build new CE enterprise
Posted 2/16/2012
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Commentary by Maj. Gen. Timothy Byers
The Civil Engineer
2/16/2012 - WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- Today, our nation faces a number of challenges that affect all branches of our government. As a consequence, our Air Force is operating in a resource constrained environment that is driving cost-cutting measures and manpower reductions across the service. Despite these reductions, we must continue our focus on accomplishing key capabilities, priorities and missions, and strive to accomplish them more efficiently and effectively.
Air Force civil engineers take pride in our "can-do, will-do" attitude, and have a reputation for building ready engineers, great leaders and sustainable installations. However, resource constraints are forcing us to rethink how we provide installation and expeditionary combat support. We must maintain our commitment to managing our installations: the Air Force's three-dimensional weapons systems.
The civil engineer community will rise to this challenge by accelerating transformation efforts we initiated in 2007. These efforts, which align with Air Force transformation initiatives, reexamine our processes and capabilities, and centralize, standardize and streamline our core activities, services and products. This will ensure we continue managing our installations while preparing for and executing our expeditionary responsibilities.
This initiative changes the way we conduct business at our bases. Civil engineers will take a more focused and centralized approach to installation management that prioritizes requirements across the service, puts our scarce resources towards the Air Force's highest priorities, and minimizes the risks to Airmen and the mission. Ultimately, this will lead to a more efficient and effective way of managing our resources.
Going forward, civil engineer squadrons will become more selective when it comes to facility management. Base engineers will focus on sustaining our facilities to support the mission and quality-of-life. Maintenance will be conducted based on the condition of each facility instead of the scheduled approach we use today. However, if there is an emergency requirement that impacts a base's quality-of-life or mission, we will address that need. Civil engineer firefighters, emergency managers and explosive ordnance disposal personnel will continue to provide emergency response capabilities during times of crisis.
This refined installation management approach requires organizational change throughout the civil engineer community. Squadrons will see their capabilities streamlined based on processes and product delivery, resulting in smaller, leaner, more technologically-advanced units. Many duties, such as planning, execution, and environmental compliance and restoration, will be leaner at base-level with overall program management and technical support shifted to a centralized Civil Engineer Field Operating Agency. The new FOA will provide full-spectrum engineering services to Air Force installations and major commands. It will be formed by combining the unique capabilities of three existing agencies -- the Air Force Civil Engineer Support Agency, the Air Force Center for Engineering and the Environment, and the Air Force Real Property Agency -- and strive to become a worldwide center of excellence for centralized installation support. The new organization will operate from the offices and operating locations currently occupied by our FOAs. Additionally, MAJCOM CE staffs will transform to focus on prioritizing and advocating for their installations' requirements, while the Office of the Civil Engineer at Headquarters Air Force will provide policy, oversight and resourcing for the community.
The new FOA plays a key role in our transformation effort. The reduction of manpower and resources at civil engineer squadrons and MAJCOMs requires us to shift many responsibilities to the FOA for central management and execution. This will enable civil engineer squadrons to focus on their core mission of installation support and expeditionary combat support preparation.
We recognize that we have a difficult road ahead. Transformation will involve organizational realignment and personnel reductions throughout the community, as well as impact the levels of service we are capable of providing to our installations. We are committed to working with our stakeholders to address these challenges and will be candid and transparent regarding our initiatives. At our installations, base civil engineers are informing their wing commanders of the impacts of our transformation efforts. They are also actively working with civil engineer personnel affected by manpower reductions. Likewise, FOA leaders are keeping their staffs informed of organizational changes and addressing problems that arise.
Every day, civil engineers do amazing things at home station and around the world. We proudly serve our Air Force and our nation with the skills, expertise and "can-do, will-do" attitude that has earned us our stellar reputation. We will continue being resilient throughout our transformation, and will work to turn change into an opportunity to develop a civil engineer enterprise that is "Built to Last." |
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