Air Force Assistant Vice Chief returns 'home' to AFDW

Published May 31, 2012
By Lynda Valentine

JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. -- Air Force Assistant Vice Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Frank Gorenc spoke to the inaugural gathering of Air Force District of Washington's "Capital Airmen" here May 21.

The Capital Airmen are a select group of Air Force members from across AFDW who were hand-picked by their wing commanders for the opportunity to learn how the command functions. The course includes briefings from high-level Air Force leaders, and a tour of national capital region sites and organizations that play a key role in the AFDW mission.

Gorenc, who commanded AFDW from June 2007 to August 2008, shared his unique perspective on the changes he has seen over his 33-year career, and spoke to the Capital Airmen about the fast-paced changes happening in today's Air Force.

"What is really catching my attention, and an interesting challenge we all have, is the pace of change in this business we call the Air Force," he told the group of noncommissioned officers, company grade officers and mid-level civilians. "Some of us have seen this before, but for some of you, this is your only reality."

The general says he often describes the "kinds of Air Forces" he has operated in since joining the service in 1979 after graduating from the U.S. Air Force Academy.

Cold War Air Force

"I ventured into what I call the 'Cold War Air Force,'" he said. "That was an Air Force that was completely different than this one in the sense that we were in garrison. We had bases all over the world. We had 600,000 people on active duty, about twice what we have today.

"I came into that Air Force, and I operated in that Air Force for 10 years," the general continued. "But then something happened, and it changed. Ten years into my career, we won the Cold War. All the sudden, there I was halfway through my career, and our biggest threat had dissolved into a bunch of little countries."

The general said it was not long before the Air Force transitioned into what he called the "No-Fly Zone Air Force."

No-Fly Zone Air Force

"Two years after we won the Cold War, Iraq invaded Kuwait," Gorenc said. "America reacted in a very decisive way, and soon we were enforcing the northern and southern 'no-fly zones' over Iraq. It was the birth of the expeditionary Air Force."

Soon, the "Cold War Air Force" learned how to transition from a garrison force to one that could deploy at a moment's notice, "and for the next 15 years roughly we were the "No-Fly Zone Air Force,'" he said.

Shortly after Sept. 11, 2001, when terrorists attacked the American homeland, the Air Force again transitioned, this time into the "Global War on Terrorism Air Force."

Global War on Terrorism Air Force

Gorenc said the "Global War on Terrorism Air Force" looked much like the "No-Fly Zone Air Force." However, the latter had mostly stressed maintainers and pilots, whereas this new iteration pulled in many more specialties.

"Now all the base-operating support elements had to stand up and man bases," he said. "Now the people on the one-to-one dwell were not the maintainers and the operators, but the Civil Engineers, Explosive Ordnance Disposal units, Security Forces Airmen, etcetera."

Gorenc believes the Air Force is on the cusp of a fourth Air Force, one that will have to solve the challenges of providing the nation combat airpower in the air, space and cyberspace while contending with a fiscally austere environment.

The Next Air Force

The general said this new era will require the Air Force to provide even better capability, and increasingly in the new domain of cyberspace.

"Every time I have been involved in a transition, from the 'Cold War Air Force,' to the 'No Fly Zone Air Force,' to the 'Global War on Terrorism Air Force,' to today, we have solved the challenges and delivered combat power more precisely, more effectively, and better than ever," Gorenc said. "Our country and our leadership are asking us to do it all over again."

Gorenc told the group that the Air Force will meet the challenge thanks to Airmen like them.

"The test for all of us is to take the mission that we have, with the resources that we have, and then deliver it better," he said. "But you are also entrusted to grow future leaders from those Airmen you supervise, and that is the trick."

Growing Air Force Leaders

The general said Air Force leaders at all levels must provide an environment in which those under their charge have the ability to grow and prosper. That way, Gorenc said, "you take the diverse work force that we have - which is a tremendous asset - and you get everything you can from it."

The assistant vice chief also challenged the conference participants to learn the difference between leadership and management, suggesting that good managers might be able to effectively complete tasks or run processes but that the Air Force needs leaders to accomplish its mission.

"Your job in the development of our Air Force is to pluck out leaders for future advancement because of their future potential," Gorenc said. "We have an incredible workforce. We must identify those Airmen who have the potential to operate at the next grade, because not all Airmen have that potential."

The next AFDW Capital Airmen conference is expected to take place in the fall.

U.S. Air Force Assistant Vice Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Frank Gorenc speaks during the Air Force District of Washington Capital Airmen Course May 21 at Joint Base Andrews, Md.