AFTC Commander's Welcome

  • Published
  • By Brig. Gen. Arnold W. Bunch Jr.
  • Air Force Test Center commander
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  Team,

On the 18th of July we celebrated the beginning of an exciting journey as a unified team in the newly designated Air Force Test Center. The realignment of the 96th Test Wing to the Air Force Test Center in a ceremony Wednesday was the final realignment and for the first time, all aspects of the AFMC Test Enterprise are aligned under one Center.

But the realignment of organizations to a single Center is only the first step. We must seize this opportunity to standardize and optimize processes as well as search out and identify best practices so we can propagate those ideas and processes across the Center. I also want to identify items we don't really believe we need to be doing. Our overall goal in this is to be more efficient and effective while at the same time providing improved support.

I must stress the Team nature of this effort. Despite our geographical separation, difference in time zones and different ways of doing business today, we are all on the same team. One of the sayings I have embraced is "none of us are as smart as all of us." By working together I am confident we will not only continue to make tremendous contributions to this Nation's defense but also make those contributions in a more efficient manner.

I ask each and every one of you to join me in my commitment to the success of this new organization. Today our warfighters have a distinct advantage on the battlefield. That advantage was gained through the dedicated efforts of Men and Women across the AFMC Test Enterprise working with AFMC's key mission areas. We play a critical role in the acquisition of systems for the warfighter and they are counting on us. Now is not the time for a passive posture. If you see something that is not working, take action or identify the issue so we can help. If you have ideas on how to improve our processes or customer support, please let your leadership know.

I am truly humbled to have the opportunity to work with and for each of you as the Commander of the Air Force Test Center. The Air Force Test Center now has hundreds of aircraft and facilities worth billions of dollars, but our most valuable resource is...YOU! You form the backbone of this Center. I know I can count on you to make this new construct successful.

Thank you for what you do each and every day to make the Air Force Test Center Team successful.

Arnie