Heritage forum helps inform future

  • Published
  • By Katherine Gandara
  • AFOTEC Public Affairs
Kirtland Air Force Base --  The Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center plugged into the more than 300 years of leadership knowledge of its former commanders to help inform and shape the future of the agency during a May 3 Heritage Forum.
AFOTEC is the Air Force independent test agency responsible for testing, under operationally realistic conditions, new warfighting capabilities developed for Air Force and often joint and coalition use.
"Plugging into our organization's past allows us to move forward with confidence and assurance in making decisions that will help create a positive, relevant and sustainable impact to our testing mission and the Air Force's priority of acquisition excellence," said Maj. Gen. David J. Eichhorn, AFOTEC commander. "In today's budget deficit environment, testing is more important than ever. Our goal as a test community is to be great stewards of the taxpayers' money and to give warfighters the best and most affordable weapons systems designed in the world today."
General Eichhorn provided the seven former commanders with an update on the status of AFOTEC activities and how the center is testing new warfighting capabilities. He also led discussions about how AFOTEC can continue to evolve and fulfill its operational testing mission more effectively and ensure test relevance in today's world.
A question and answer session with the former commanders enabled AFOTEC members at its headquarters geographically separated detachments, via video teleconferencing, a chance to hear about the challenges and highlights the previous commanders experienced. The former AFOTEC commanders attending the forum included retired Maj. Gen. Michael Hall (1985-1987); retired Maj. Gen. Peter Robinson (1990-1991); retired Maj. Gen. George Harrison (1993-1997); retired Maj. Gen. Ken Peck (2000-2003); retired Maj. Gen. Felix Dupré (2003-2005); retired Maj. Gen. Robin Scott (2005-2007); and Maj. Gen. Stephen Sargeant (2007-2010).
Also attending was Dr. Marion Williams AFOTEC's chief scientist and technical director from 1974 to 2005. Former director of operational test and evaluation, Pete Adolph, also attended, bringing more than 50 years of experience and insight in test and evaluation and acquisition management.
"AFOTEC's Heritage Forum presented a great opportunity to understand General Eichhorn's initiatives and the positive effects those initiatives are having on Air Force operational test and evaluation," said Dr. Williams. "My conclusion is that AFOTEC is still the best operational test agency in DOD and keeps getting better. Hopefully the Heritage Forum will become one of AFOTEC's traditions."
"I truly stand on the shoulders of giants," said General Eichhorn. "Having these great minds gathered together in one place allows me to use the experience and understanding gained by these previous AFOTEC commanders to help me find the most effective way to lead AFOTEC today toward warfighting's operational truth."
AFOTEC has had 16 general officers in command since it was activated as the Air Force Test and Evaluation Center in 1974. The center was re-designated as AFOTEC in 1983, to clearly delineate its role as the Air Force's operational test agency.