AFTC enterprise foundation set as Bunch prepares to depart Published April 8, 2015 By Rebecca Amber Staff writer EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Maj. Gen. Arnold Bunch Jr., Air Force Test Center commander, stood before members of the Edwards workforce and gave his last commander's calls at two separate times April 7 in the base theater. Bunch recognized the AFTC annual award winners and congratulated the test wing on a "fantastic job" in the enterprise-wide Unit Effectiveness Inspection last month. The enterprise was rated "highly effective" across four major-graded areas: managing resources, leading people, improving the unit and executing the mission. Moving forward, Bunch shared that finding the balance between efficiency and effectiveness will become even more challenging, particularly if sequestration hits again. He asked each person in the room to ask themselves everyday if there is a better, cheaper, or faster way to accomplish the task at hand. One big issue that Bunch expects to see grow in the coming years is cyber security and resiliency. After performing tests on the F-16 Block 25/30/32 in the Integration Facility for Avionics Systems Testing (IFAST), Bunch believes there is potential to see a cyber test group formed within the next two years to address this growing need. Bunch stressed the importance of keeping an enterprise-centric perspective. One successful enterprise solution is seen in HALAS, the High Altitude LIDAR (light detection and ranging) Atmospheric Sensing instrument. The program started at Arnold Air Force Base, Tennessee, the data were collected at Edwards and shipped back to Arnold for evaluation. Another enterprise example was accomplished a few months ago. An F-16 Inter-range data systems demo mission was flown over the sea test range at Naval Air Station Point Mugu, California, and controlled by a team in an Eglin AFB, Florida, control room. With less than a 300 millisecond lag, the data were sent to a control room at Eglin and analyzed in real time. The next step is to stand up a mission at Eglin, feeding the data into a control room at Edwards. The goal is to be able to utilize the engineering expertise, instrumentation, aircraft and aircrew across the enterprise. "This is what the center and enterprise was established to accomplish on a routine basis," he said. Partnerships are also important to the success of the enterprise. Bunch recently participated in a "ribbon-joining" at Arnold AFB along with the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory. The Arnold Engineering Development Complex is now the site of the AFRL High Speed Experimentation Branch. "This is not just a benefit to Arnold, but also to Edwards and Eglin, because the data that Arnold collects early on with AFRL feeds into what we're going to flight test at those locations." Two focus areas for the test center are the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and KC-46 tanker programs, and developing the test capabilities (test techniques, intellectual capital, facilities) of tomorrow to fully test future technologies. To execute these programs and develop these capabilities, the test center must work together to identify and communicate limiting factors so senior leaders can appropriately direct resources, he said. Bunch concluded his commander's call with a few inspirational reminders. The first, a video pulled from the archives of an F-111 spin eject test was a great example of why the test community exists - to ensure that when technology reaches the battlefield, it's safe. "I don't want a lieutenant over being a test pilot - that's our j-o-b," said Bunch. The test center performs test in an extremely disciplined manner with preparation done to mitigate as many safety risks and hazards as possible. One successful test program is the Auto Ground Collision Avoidance System, which was fielded last year after half-a-decade of testing. "It's a system designed to prevent perfectly good airplanes and perfectly good people from flying into the ground." If a pilot's attention is diverted, he/she is task-saturated, or he/she loses consciousness in flight, the aircraft will fly away from the ground ensuring that both the pilot and aircraft are safe. "Because of the work put in by the wing and the enterprise over the last five to seven years, we now have a system that's out there that can save the pilot," said Bunch. "The aircraft can save the pilots versus the pilots saving the aircraft and that's a great thing." By the time he leaves in June, Bunch will have spent more than 12 years of his military career at Edwards AFB. "Edwards holds a special place in my heart, and the world of test holds a special place in my heart. Every one of you does a phenomenal job. From Mrs. Bunch and I, thank you for your great support, thank you for being our friends and our compadres and thank you for letting us work for you over the last three years." Congratulations to the 2014 Air Force Test Center Annual Award winners! Senior Noncommissioned Officer Master Sgt. Erik Robbins, 412th Force Support Squadron Company Grade Officer / Individual Mobilization Augmentee Capt. Paul W. Feldman, 412th Test Wing Judge Advocates Office Noncommissioned Officer / Individual Mobilization Augmentee Tech. Sgt. Robert E. Sumner, Jr., 412th Security Forces Squadron AFMC Nominee Civilian Cat III John C. Buckley II, 412th Test Wing Inspector General Air Force Materiel Command level winners 2014 Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Thomas N. Barnes Crew Chief of the Year Award Staff Sgt. James M. Clippinger, 412th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron 2014 National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA) Military Tester of the Year Maj. Casey E. Richardson, 416th Flight Test Squadron Medium Aircraft Maintenance Award 412th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron Small Aircraft Maintenance Award 912th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron AFMC 2014 Lieutenant General Leo Marquez Awards Field Grade Manager Aircraft Maintenance Lt. Col. Jennifer Barnard, 412th Test Wing Civilian Manager Munitions/Missile Maintenance Tracy C. Wilbur, 412th TW Technician Supervisor Aircraft Maintenance Staff Sgt. Evan Ensey, Air Force Test Center, 412th TW Civilian Technician Munitions/Missile Maintenance Roy Maquindang, 412th TW 2014 Clements McMullen Memorial Daedalian Weapon System Maintenance Trophy 412th Maintenance Group AFMC 2014 Safety Award Winners Koren Kolligian, Jr., Trophy for Outstanding Airmanship Maj. Nathan C. Jordan, 416th FLTS AFMC 2014 AF Annual Security Forces Individual Awards Airman 1st Class Elizabeth Jacobson Award for Expeditionary Excellence Senior Airman Stephanie Grebe, 412th SFS 2014 Air Force Civil Engineer Awards Brig. Gen. Archie S. Mayes (Engineering) 412th Civil Engineering Group/CEN Brig Gen Michael A. McAuliffe Housing Excellence 412th Civil Engineering Group/CEIH 2014 Annual Information Dominance Professional of the Year Awards Outstanding Civilian Assistant Specialist Brett Roth, 412th Communications Squadron Outstanding Civilian Technician Raybon Sellers, Jr., 412th CS Outstanding Cyberspace Operations Senior NCO Senior Master Sgt. Elie Glover, 412th CS Maj. Gen. Harold McClelland Award 412th Communications Squadron