Four-star innovator to speak on third offset strategy Published Aug. 19, 2016 By Kenji Thuloweit 412th Test Wing Public Affairs EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Brig. Gen. Carl Schaefer and the 412th Test Wing Innovation Team are pleased to announce a two-day innovation kick-off event Aug. 24-25. The special guest speaker is retired Gen. Gregory S. Martin who will be on stage Aug. 24 at the base theater with Schaefer to deliver a keynote address discussing strategic innovation and the DOD’s Third U.S. Offset Strategy. The event begins at 9 a.m. and is scheduled to run until 10:30 a.m. Martin will also be participating in a working lunch with innovators from across the test wing and will be involved in discussions with many young leaders who may become the future leaders of the Air Force. Martin retired from the Air Force in September 2005 as the commander of Air Force Materiel Command after serving 35 years on active duty. AFMC is responsible for executing nearly $40 billion per year, or approximately half of the Air Force’s annual budget. Since retiring from the Air Force, Martin has become an independent consultant and has served on the board of directors for the National Academies’ Air Force Studies Board and performs mentoring duties as a highly-qualified expert for the joint staff in the DOD. He has also been a member of two Defense Science Board task force committees. Additionally, he serves on several advisory boards and as a consultant for a number of defense and aerospace industry corporations. The third offset strategy, put forth by secretary of Defense Ash Carter, is to maintain the country’s competitive and dominant edge in defense with technological and operational innovation being key. The strategy aims to harness America's intellectual activity in a way that transcends any particular technological trend. This follows the first and second offsets that took place in the 1950s and the 70s and 80s respectively.