AFLCMC activated at Wright-Patt

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WRIGHT-PATTERSON AFB, Ohio --  The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center activation was officially recognized during a ceremony here July 20. The center consolidates the management of three former centers, including Aeronautical System Center here.

Gen. Janet Wolfenbarger, commander of Air Force Materiel Command, officiated as command of the center was handed to Lt. Gen C.D. Moore II.

As the Air Force's focal point for cradle to grave management of Air Force aircraft, communications, armaments, cyber and other systems, the center is part of an AFMC construct that consolidates the command's number of centers from 12 to five.

The consolidation, announced in November 2011, is a major part of AFMC's response to a Congressional challenge to find efficiencies and save tax dollars. By eliminating overhead, the command will improve the way it accomplishes its mission, ultimately providing better support to the warfighter. The restructure will standardize processes and save about $109 million annually.

"AFLCMC and its people will continue to be critical to AFMC achieving its mission of providing warfighter support," Wolfenbarger said. "The work done across all AFLCMC locations is important not only to the AFMC mission, but to the greater Air Force mission as well."

Under the leadership of Moore, the center will have oversight of life cycle management work carried out at several locations across AFMC, including Wright-Patterson, Hanscom AFB, Mass., Eglin AFB, Fla., Maxwell AFB's Gunter Annex in Ala., and in the program offices at each of the air logistics complexes at Tinker AFB, Okla., Robins AFB, Ga., and Hill AFB, Utah. The missions at each location will continue at their respective bases, but without redundant command staffs, thus eliminating layers of management overhead.

"As a new organization, LCMC has cradle to grave management responsibilities for all aircraft, engines, munitions and electronic systems.  I am convinced that this new mission enterprise will allow us to implement standardized processes and in doing so improve acquisition excellence and product support for fielded systems.  That is our mission and we will deliver," Moore said.       

Establishment of the AFLCMC at Wright-Patterson and the Air Force Sustainment Center at Tinker AFB, Okla., along with the re-designation of the Air Force Test Center at Edwards, AFB, Calif., are the first major steps of a transition phase during which center frameworks will be built and units will be assigned, leading up to initial operational capability on Oct. 1. Full operational capability is planned for mid-2013.

The life cycle management, sustainment and test centers will be joined by the present Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson and the Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center at Kirtland AFB, N.M., to complete AFMC's five-center line-up.