AFDW announces new strategic alignment initiative

  • Published
  • By 1st Lt. Esther Willett
  • Air Force District of Washington Public Affairs
JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Maryland --  The Air Force District of Washington recently established a Strategic Planning Council to revise AFDW's strategic plan, the guidepost for the command until 2035.

Under the direction of AFDW's Vice Commander Col. Chris Patterson, this cross-functional team of experts representing every directorate and subordinate unit will align AFDW's strategic plan with the new Headquarters Air Force Strategic Master Plan and Future Operating Concept.

"The existing strategic plan was a great effort to chart the course for AFDW," Mr. Stephen Tavares, chief of the strategic planning branch said. "However, we live in a rapidly-changing environment with new strategic threats emerging daily. We must continually re-evaluate our strategic posture to ensure we are prepared to meet the demands of the future."

The Strategic Planning Council began by evaluating AFDW's vision and mission statements. The group initiated a new vision, "Renowned for Excellence, Prepared to Respond," and reaffirmed the unit's mission: "Contingency Response, Ceremonial Honors, and Operational Support...Across the Nation's Capital and Worldwide."

"Everything we do in AFDW should clearly align with the goals and objectives of the command," Patterson said. "Each member of our team should consider how their daily operations contribute to the larger mission."

The team will soon publish "The Commander's Strategic Message" which will expand the commander's vision for AFDW through the year 2035. The message will establish immediate, short-term, and long-term goals for the command and will explore what the AFDW mission may entail in 2035, said Tavares.

"This effort is a command priority, as our strategic plan provides the meaning and context for everything we do," AFDW Commander Maj. Gen. Darryl Burke said. "Our global mission dictates that we stay ahead of changes in the strategic environment and that we are postured to adjust-fire accordingly."

To read the new (2035) HAF Strategic Master Plan and Future Operating Concept, visit http://www.af.mil/Airpower4America.aspx