It feels like 20 Jan could bring in an era of real disruption and change. Here are some ideas for the new SECAF to get in on the action and shock the stale bureaucracy to life:
1) Purge the bloat. Hold the promised Selective Retirement Board for O-7 through O-10. Retire one-third of all stars from the force, and eliminate one-third of all HHQ staff positions to compliment the GO cuts and downgrades. Leave the GO positions vacant or downgraded, and distribute the HHQ staff cuts to operational Wings. Upgrade operational Active Duty Wing Commands to one-star billets.
2) Give Wing Commanders 100% authority over promotions up to O-4 and E-7. Also, give full discretionary authority over 50% of O-5, E-8, and E-9 promotions. If laws require promotion boards (O-4, O-5), convene the boards to review records for errors and oversights.
3) Extend all Command tours to 4 years. Commanders should be the longest-tenured and most operationally knowledgeable members of their organizations.
4) Fix the standards and discipline crisis. Many, including the ACC Commander, have recognized the symptoms, but few seem to have diagnosed the disease. Fundamentally, many airmen have come to believe that they do not have to do what they are told, AND THEY ARE CURRENTLY CORRECT! Supervisors are hesitant to discipline, and subordinates’ avenues of recourse are strong and many. First step: Just a SECAF order, “Supervisors will discipline subordinates who fail to maintain standards. Such actions are a mandatory requirement of leadership, and will not be misconstrued as harassment, favoritism, hazing, or bias.” This is not about uniforms and haircuts. This is about doing your job well.
4a) The bluster about “grooming standards” is really about beards, and the issue is racially charged. Having de-facto racially segregated facial hair standards is not good. Immediately allow beards for all members and make this ridiculous issue go away forever.
5) Day one attack on over-classification…end CUI. It is ironic (perhaps Orwellian) that the latest information classification marking is “Controlled Unclassified Information”. Secrecy is the death of accountability. CUI was created by executive action, so it can be undone.
6) Incite a personnel management revolution. AFPC is ground zero for self-destructive centralized bureaucratic control. Look to professional sports leagues for an alternative private sector model. Smash the bureaucracy, and announce a software-based de-centralized personnel management system. Yes, this would include “free-agency” periods where members and Commanders will hold direct power over internal personnel movements.
7) Honestly exercise and evaluate the military capability of units. Exercises against challenging threat and logistics scenarios should be conducted on a no-notice basis and be evaluated by the MAJCOM or higher. Evaluate military performance, not compliance or methods. On day one, warn Wings to expect no-notice exercises. Before the end of February, drop an ambitious, multi-wing, cross-MAJCOM exercise against a robust “pacing threat.” Include fighters, tankers, cargo, CRG, and bombers. The great thing about no-notice exercises is that they do not take too long to plan. Expect the exercise to blow up like the first Starship, which would make it a massive success.
