Department of the Air Force streamlines IT functions

The Department of the Air Force is aligning Headquarters Cyberspace Capabilities Center at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, as a Field Operating Agency to the Office of the Department of the Air Force chief information officer to streamline and consolidate information technology functions effective Dec. 20.  Follow-on actions will include realignment of functions from other organizations and future administrative changes.  “This is a significant step toward streamlining and consolidating Information Technology functions and ensuring unity of effort in IT service delivery across the Air Force and Space Force,” said Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall. “By combining and aligning these functions to their authoritative owner, the IT enterprise will be able to produce capabilities in shorter, more rapid development cycles – ensuring requirements are expediently actioned and delivered to the Airmen and Guardians who need them.”  Kendall also reiterated the importance of this change, particularly as the Department reoptimizes for Great Power Competition.  “The bifurcation of IT did not meet my intent to rapidly deliver capabilities based on the requirements provided by our people,” Kendall said.  These changes are intended to more effectively organize, train and equip the IT enterprise and cyberspace domain.  “Our men and women are used to change, but we’re especially excited about this opportunity to refocus our mission centered around service delivery for the enterprise. We can already see the synergies building between our team and the DAF CIO’s staff,” said Col. Chris Rubiano, Headquarters Cyberspace Capabilities Center commander. “We look forward to onboarding other Enterprise IT functions from across the Department and working with stakeholders to grow processes which help us best develop capabilities for both Airmen and Guardians.”  As the Department of the Air Force has expanded to include the U.S. Space Force and the mantra of “One Department, two Services,” the need to better represent that structure among IT stakeholders became clear.  “Many people don’t realize how vast our office’s statutory authority for IT is – there are many responsibilities that my office cannot delegate and that we are responsible for delivering and synchronizing across the Enterprise, which is inclusive of all IT – from business, to warfighting, to intelligence, to services of common concern,” said Venice Goodwine, Department of the Air Force chief information officer. “I have a responsibility to the secretary, but also his staff and both services, to ensure their IT requirements are captured and developed in a way that is not only responsive but cost effective and interoperable with one another. We can do this through effective governance, and alignment of the Cyberspace Capabilities Center as a Field Operating Agency to my office, will help reinforce adherence to the capability delivery process.”  While Headquarters Cyberspace Capabilities Center is now a secretariat-aligned Field Operating Agency effective now, it is expected to reach full operational capability by October 2025. There will be no movement of people with these changes, with a realignment of IT functions both to, and from, the center yet to come.  “We have some work to do to properly consolidate and align these functions, but I’m confident our team is up to the task. We’re excited to get going, and we remain focused on delivering for those we support,” Goodwine said.

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