APRIL 23, 2015, MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. (AFNS) – The vice commander of the Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center spoke on how the new center will be the “single voice” for installation and mission support to a class of Air Force leaders attending the Commanders’ Professional Development School at Air University April 20.
Col. Brian Duffy explained the progress in standing up AFIMSC and how centralized capabilities will affect them as they depart and become mission support group commanders.
“The tremendous opportunity that is presented by the AFIMSC is that, for the first time in our history as an Air Force, we are going to be able to have that single voice across that installation and mission support portfolio and try to provide the balance and leveling that our commands have done a great job at thus far,” Duffy said. “They have been internally focused, for good reason, but we are now going to have a chance to look across the enterprise and put an Air Force focus on it. This will help us better prioritize our funds across the Air Force and ensure that the highest needs are cared for.”
AFIMSC, headquartered at Joint Base San Antonio, Texas, reports to Air Force Materiel Command. The center consolidates installation management functions currently being performed at every major command and will serve as the single intermediate-level headquarters for the delivery of installation support capabilities.
“I think the challenges will be communication and understanding,” Duffy said. “We’re not going to be the owners of the agile combat support Airmen working at base level. I think there will be a natural tendency at the installation level to think, ‘All my money, manpower and support is coming from somewhere outside of what I knew before.’ That is different, and that will be a challenge. Our job is to try to make that seamless.”
AFIMSC’s capabilities include security forces, civil engineering, base communications, logistics readiness, installation ministry programs, services, operational contracting and financial management, according to the center’s website.
Duffy said the class of colonels he spoke to was a specifically targeted audience that he wanted to speak with and receive feedback from regarding the changes.
“They’re living through the change right now,” he said. “The crop that is going into command right now is going to live the world the way we’ve done it before, and then on Sept. 30, the world for funding is going to change. The people they call are going to be different. That’s why getting the word out here and integrating them into our build plan is important.”