Donley Goes on the Road

Donley Goes on the Road: Acting Air Force Secretary Michael Donley yesterday visited Peterson AFB, Colo., and Barksdale AFB, La., to get a first-hand perspective from select senior officials on USAF issues, policies, and procedures, specifically as they relate to the nuclear enterprise mission, Air Force officials told the Daily Report. Peterson is home to Air Force Space Command, which oversees the nation’s Minuteman III ICBMs, while Barksdale hosts 8th Air Force, the Air Force's bomber warfighting headquarters, and 2nd Bomb Wing, a nuclear-capable B-52 bomber unit. Donley also conducted airmen's calls, during which he addressed rank-and-file personnel and responded to their questions, the officials said. Today, Donley is on tap to do the same at Offutt AFB, Neb., headquarters of US Strategic Command, and Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, the seat of Air Force Material Command. Donley assumed his duties as Acting Secretary after Michael Wynne stepped down on June 20. Donley issued his first "Letter to Airmen" June 30, citing cultural, systemic and institutional challenges within USAF's nuclear enterprise and noting creation of a Nuclear Task Force to examine all aspects of the nuclear mission.

7/2/2008

Verbatim

To Be Clear
“Just like in my business, the issues that go badly get all of the attention. I think, to be clear with you, there are many things that are managed well every day in the Air Force.”
—John Young, Pentagon acquisition executive, speaking to defense reporters on the state of Air Force acquisition, Washington, D.C., Nov. 20, 2008.

Verbatim

F-22 Options
“They have two choices. On January 21st, they can obligate the $90 million and decide there's some chance ... that they will buy the airplanes and they'd rather preserve the option to buy [them] at no additional cost to the taxpayer. Or, they could chose not to obligate the $90 million and accept that they still have a decision to be made between then and March 1st. But that decision may cost the taxpayer more money.”
—DOD acquisition czar John Young on how releasing only $50 million of the $140 million authorized by Congress to keep the F-22 production line active until March 2009 still preserves options for the new Administration, Capitol Hill, Nov. 19, 2008.