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AFGSC hosts symposium to reinvigorate discussion, enterprise

  • Published
  • By Joe Thomas
  • Air Force Global Strike Command
BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La --  With the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, many in the United States no longer felt that deterring large-scale aggression was a priority. This shift in thought and world events led to the deactivation of Strategic Air Command and the diffusion of deterrent assets among major commands.

Unstable global dynamics have once again placed deterrence at center stage with respect to national security. As a result, Air Force Global Strike Command has taken numerous steps to bolster its role in the nuclear triad and reinvigorate the discussion on deterrence and its importance in today’s affairs.  

For this reason, AFGSC hosted its inaugural Nuclear Deterrence Symposium Thursday, March 24 at the BUFF Event Center at Barksdale AFB. Strikers had the opportunity to learn from a panel of four retired general officers whose careers touched the nuclear enterprise at some point in its 70-year history.

“We have about 130-plus years of experience and it’s important to take this opportunity to learn from them,” said Gen. Robin Rand, AFGSC commander. “This is such a valuable experience that we’re looking to do this again.”

Panel members included Gen. Larry D. Welch, former Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force and served as the commander for Strategic Air Command from 1985-86, Gen. William M. Fraser III, former U.S. Transportation Command commander; Gen. Douglas Fraser, former U.S. Southern Command commander; and Gen. Gregory S. Martin, former U.S. Air Force Materiel Command commander.

Welch set the tone of the symposium by discussing the definition of deterrence, its importance to the nation and its ever-changing view in public perception.

“What does Global Strike Commands forces do for national security?  In the midst of all the global changes over the last 70 years, the answer to that question has been constant,” Welch said. “It is to ensure that any potential adversary or adversaries will always believe that the cost and the risk of an attack on the United States or its allies will far exceed any possible benefit.”

Although each of the panel members discussed a wide-range of topics, one message was clear – the nuclear enterprise needs to retain its role as a priority in national defense.

“The fundamental role of leadership can be boiled down to ‘inspire and empower.’” Welch said. “For the nuclear forces, during the Cold War the ‘inspire’ part was easy. From the president to the clerk at the 7-11, all understood the importance of what you do and that what you do is essential for national security. Now you are deluged with articles, editorials and books that suggest that there is a declining relevance in our strategic deterrent forces and there are even some that suggest we don’t need you anymore. I could give you lots of counter-arguments to those positions but I will instead simply stress that those who take that view are just wrong.”

The symposium aimed to address this shift in public opinion and served as an academic, non-attribution forum for present-day strikers to share ideas and discuss issues with panel and audience members. The result -- an afternoon of discussion that covered a spectrum of issues ranging in scope from mission sets to career fields and numerous enterprise issues in between. The forum also discussed the role Airmen play in maintaining and improving the deterrent force.

“Don’t just walk past the problem,” said Martin. “Tactical problems often times have long-term strategic effects.”

The audience included commissioned officers, senior enlisted Airmen and government employees representing all areas of the global strike mission. Many of these members asked questions that pertained to their specific roles in the enterprise, areas of improvement and the command’s future.

The symposium also included a reception that gave Strikers an informal opportunity to discuss the enterprise with panel members and other attendees. The event was planned and coordinated by the command’s Plans, Programs, and Requirements directorate, otherwise known as A5/8.