Powering Readiness: Tinker and the Primes celebrates 20 Years of partnerships

Published Aug. 20, 2025
By Courtney Landsberger
72nd Air Base Wing Public Affairs

TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --

The engine of readiness took center stage Aug. 5-7, as Tinker and the Primes returned for three days of collaboration and integration.

People participate in a panel — Christopher Parry, chief, Propulsion Sustainment Division, Tinker Air Force Base, moderates a propulsion industry engagement panel during the Tinker and the Primes conference Aug. 6, in Midwest City, Oklahoma. Tinker panelists Loren Lutz and Jennifer Reich joined Parry in discussing sustainment strategies, engineering priorities, and opportunities for collaboration with industry partners. (U.S. Air Force photo by Courtney Landsberger)

Eighty-six exhibitors and a record-breaking number of more than 1,300 industry, civic and academic leaders attended the event, with a shared goal of fueling the next generation of air power.

Col speaks at podium — Col. Cisco Harris, commander,72nd Air Base Wing, delivers opening remarks during the 20th anniversary of the Tinker and the Primes conference Aug. 6, at the Reed Conference Center in Midwest City, Oklahoma. Harris welcomed attendees and emphasized the importance of government-industry collaboration in advancing the Air Force mission. (U.S. Air Force photo by Courtney Landsberger)

“This year’s theme—'20 Years of Airpower Partnership’—is more than a commemoration,” said Col. Cisco Harris, 72nd Air Base Wing and Installation commander. “It’s a reminder of what happens when vision, trust, and commitment come together in pursuit of a greater mission.”

The aerospace industry is the second largest in Oklahoma, contributing more than $44 billion to the state’s economy with a shared responsibility for readiness in outpacing adversaries.

For the last two decades, the Tinker and the Primes conference has served as a community coalition for advancing global readiness and sustaining the warfighter mission. It serves as a hub, forging bonds between government and industry leaders, offering insight and innovation into delivering lethal capability when and where it is needed.

Woman speaks to audience — Lt. Gen. Linda Hurry, interim commander, Air Force Materiel Command, addresses a record-breaking crowd during the Tinker and the Primes conference Aug. 5, at the Reed Conference Center in Midwest City, Oklahoma. As a Department of Defense keynote speaker, Hurry emphasized the importance of partnership and innovation in sustaining the Air Force’s mission. (U.S. Air Force photo by Courtney Landsberger)

At Tinker, that includes maintaining and upgrading long-range, heavy bombers like the B-1, B-52 and in the not-too-distant-future, the B-21.

“The global supply chain is in a state of disarray. How do we get parts for things that we were never supposed to rebuild for aircraft that weren’t supposed to still be flying?” asked Lt. Gen. Linda S. Hurry, interim commander, Air Force Materiel Command. “It takes teams like this, who do amazing work that we take on together.”

Innovation and the ability to think outside the box help make us successful, she continued.

“Imagine you have an idea, and your leadership team goes, ‘Yep, we're going to try that, and I’m going to support you and give you the resources.’ Then, imagine how you feel if it actually works. You walk a little taller, and you’re proud. You are part of a solution, and you have made a difference,” said Hurry. “Don’t ever give up on the possibilities and the thought of, ‘what if?’”

Gen speaks to audience — Lt. Gen. Linda Hurry, interim commander, Air Force Materiel Command, speaks on the importance of agile logistics, integration and industry collaboration during the Tinker and the Primes conference Aug. 5, in Midwest City, Oklahoma. As a Department of Defense keynote speaker, Hurry outlined how strategic partnerships are key to strengthening the Air Force’s future sustainment enterprise. (U.S. Air Force photo by Courtney Landsberger)

Being able to logistically sustain and execute operations is something Lt. Gen Stacey Hawkins, commander, Air Force Sustainment Center, headquartered at Tinker AFB, says the AFSC is well positioned to do.

Hawkins praised the AFSC’s progress in depot-level maintenance timelines, pointing to success stories across multiple weapons systems — including a dramatic reduction in aircraft turnaround time.

man speaks to audience — Lt. Gen. Stacey Hawkins, commander, Air Force Sustainment Center, highlights the Art of the Possible during his keynote address at the Tinker and the Primes conference Aug. 6, in Midwest City, Oklahoma. Hawkins underscored the importance of collaboration between government and industry to deliver agile, innovative solutions to the battlefield. (U.S. Air Force photo by Breonna Summers)

“We’ve used our Art of the Possible constraints-based management system over the past 13 years to create a culture that lives in our people,” Hawkins said. “By implementing it, we’ve had tremendous successes across the center, for the C-5, F-16, and KC-135. Our Airmen are delivering for the nation’s war fighters every day.”

With innovation remaining a key focus area, Hawkins called on partners to help navigate technical hurdles in areas like advanced manufacturing and artificial intelligence. Stephen Gray, director of the 448th Supply Chain Management Wing, also spoke on the topic during a panel on AI for strategic advantage.

“The untapped opportunities here are to be able to take the toil out of work,” said Gray. “We have historically answered the problems we have with a lot of time, manpower and manual processes. It’s time to relook at those things that we do and try to find a way to reduce the toil.”

Gray noted that while oversight is crucial in sensitive areas like munitions or nuclear operations, other routine administrative tasks—such as processing repair part purchases or personnel actions—can be streamlined with the right combination of tools and optimized workflows.

“If the underlying process is sound and you add the right tool to it, then we can pretty much eliminate the toil in our workforce,” he said. “Time is probably our most precious resource— you cannot regenerate it.”

Cutting-edge innovation, where wrenches meet data, is pushing the boundaries of what’s possible - ensuring every solution is grounded in operational reality. Tinker’s Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex, part of the AFSC, is the largest maintenance, repair and overhaul organization in the DoD.

But the upcoming introduction of sixth-generation platforms like the B-21 Raider only ramp up the complexity of sustainment and demands.

“The future of aircraft sustainment depends on advancing predictive maintenance capabilities, developing faster repair processes, and creating resilient supply chains for critical components,” said Brig. Gen. Lindsay Droz, commander, OC-ALC. “The aircraft we regenerate, the engines we sustain, and the components we produce represent the culmination of a true partnership ecosystem.”

man and audience watch video — Lt. Gen. Stacey Hawkins, commander, Air Force Sustainment Center, highlights the role of sustainment in warfighter readiness during his keynote address at the Tinker and the Primes conference Aug. 6, in Midwest City, Oklahoma. Hawkins underscored the importance of collaboration between government and industry to deliver agile, innovative solutions to the battlefield. (U.S. Air Force photo by Courtney Landsberger)

What keeps U.S. Air Force aircraft mission-ready isn’t just pilots and jets –it’s the maintainers and artisans at Tinker Air Force Base and the partnerships with industry and academia that make them move in unison.

“As our Secretary of Defense has made clear, peace through strength is not an outdated concept—it is the foundation of modern deterrence. And strength isn’t measured only in weapon systems. It’s measured in agility, resilience, and the ability to surge and sustain in a contested environment,” said Harris. “At Tinker, we are not preparing for yesterday’s war. We are building the capability and capacity to support tomorrow’s.”

people participate in panel — Tinker Air Force Base personnel and industry leaders discuss the future of the bomber enterprise and public-private partnerships during a panel at Tinker and the Primes, Aug. 5. The annual event brings together military leaders, industry partners and community stakeholders to support Department of Defense missions. (U.S. Air Force photo by Courtney Landsberger)

Tinker and the Primes is hosted by the Midwest City Chamber of Commerce in collaboration with Tinker Air Force Base and industry partners.