F.E. WARREN AIR FORCE BASE, Wyo. -- In a significant move to empower its forces, Twentieth Air Force has officially launched the first of its kind Warfighting, Innovation, and Lethality team, March 2026. Developed over a one-year period from the idea that the best solutions often come from those closest to the problem, the WIL team is designed to be a powerful advocacy tool, turning grassroots ideas into enterprise-wide improvements.
“The activation of the WIL team is a clear signal that we are committed to empowering our Airmen and investing in the future of our force,” said Maj. Gen. Stacy Huser, 20 AF commander. “Our Airmen are our greatest problem solvers, and this team provides a dedicated avenue to elevate their ideas, ensuring their voices are heard and their innovations are put into action across the command.”
The creation of the team was driven by a fundamental realization: even as strategic priorities shift, the everyday challenges facing Airmen persist. The WIL team was established to tackle these issues head-on, ensuring the personnel who make the mission happen are equipped, supported and heard.
"We need to be intentional because our greatest asset, people, make the mission happen every day," said MSgt Tiffany Hunt, the inaugural WIL Director. "This team was created to get after challenges involving the technology, processes and policies that impact our Airmen. We are here to identify the current challenges across 20 AF and find solutions through innovative and critical thinking, rather than accepting 'that’s how we have always done it'."
The WIL program is structured for agility and impact. The initiative operates with a director who oversees WIL teams established at each wing. These Wing WIL Leads are charged with managing their own core teams and addressing priorities set by their local commanders as well as 20 AF. This structure allows the WIL team to function as a powerful volunteer force comprised of Airmen who have stepped up to drive innovation in addition to their primary mission responsibilities, with members bringing their day-to-day operational expertise to the forefront.
Each team is built on three foundational pillars:
- Technology & Equipment: Focusing on modernizing the tools Airmen use every day, ensuring they are functional and effective, not just new.
- Policy & Regulation: Examining the bedrock of how the mission is accomplished and challenging policies that may hinder a better way of operating.
- Personnel & Processes: Improving the day-to-day readiness and quality of life for Airmen by identifying and eliminating inefficiencies.
The true engine of the WIL initiative resides at the wing level, where Airmen are encouraged to submit ideas and identify readiness gaps. Validated projects are then tackled by dynamic working groups composed of subject matter experts from across 20 AF and in collaboration with teams across the Air Force to include the Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center, Air Force Global Strike Command, and U.S. Special Operations Command, fostering a unique cross-functional approach to problem-solving.
“This collaboration is key to our success in the WIL”, said Hunt. "No one entity should have all the answers or feel the burden of the challenges, when we can work through it together."
Senior mentors from 20 AF provide high-level guidance, helping teams navigate complex organizational channels and providing an outside perspective to ensure projects achieve their intended goals.
While the WIL team is a new initiative, it has already begun making progress identifying and tackling issues that impact Airmen at all levels across 20 AF.
"Our initial success is awareness that our team exists," said Hunt. "I want everyone to know that we exist as an advocacy tool. There aren’t many volunteer groups that go direct to the 20 AF commander for advocacy, and that is what makes us different."
This initiative represents a significant step forward for 20 AF, placing the power of innovation directly into the hands of the Airmen on the front lines. The WIL team is poised to unlock new efficiencies, modernize capabilities and fundamentally enhance the lethality and readiness of the force for years to come.