TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- The competition of tomorrow isn't some distant concept. At the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex, we understand that winning the future fight requires action now. Our commitment to combat readiness rests on a foundation of a strong organic industrial base, and we're not just maintaining that foundation – we're actively manufacturing it to meet the challenges of 2050 and beyond.
For years, the OC-ALC has been essential for Air Force sustainment, rapidly maintaining, repairing, and overhauling weapon systems to ensure our warfighters have the airpower they need when they need it. But maintaining the status quo is not an option. We are evolving our longstanding Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul, or MRO, industry into something even more potent: MMRO – Manufacturing, Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul.
This isn't just about adding a new acronym to our dictionary. It's a fundamental shift in how we sustain weapons systems. By integrating manufacturing capabilities, we're bolstering our supply chain, accelerating innovation, and ensuring we can meet the demands of tomorrow's warfighters with agility and precision.
Our digital modernization efforts, amplified by advanced manufacturing and the Air Force Sustainment Center’s Art of the Possible production culture, create a force multiplier, ensuring the OC-ALC remains a global leader in aerospace sustainment.
This commitment translates into concrete action across four key areas:
Delivering Commitments to the Warfighter
Our production plan is dynamic and forward-thinking, prioritizing the warfighter's needs from the outset. We're leveraging our deep understanding of their requirements and forecasting resource availability to make informed decisions and deliver the right products at the right time.
Cultivating a High-Performing Workforce
Our people are our greatest asset and a national treasure. We're investing in their future through strategic partnerships with universities and CareerTech institutions, creating a pipeline of highly qualified individuals ready to drive success within our organization. We're not just training engineers and artisans; we're developing tomorrow's leaders.
Investing in Infrastructure and Modernizing the Depot
From the "oldest old" to the "newest new," we're balancing the maintenance of legacy systems with the integration of cutting-edge technologies. We're investing in the infrastructure needed to support next-generation platforms and modernizing facilities to accommodate and integrate future requirements.
Advancing Sustainment Capabilities
We're modernizing the Air Force's depot system for the digital age, driving recapitalization and investing in automation, data analytics, and integration. Initiatives like the Global Enterprise Network for Universal Sustainment, or GENUS, with its Forward Air Logistics Complex Operational Node (FALCON) and Regional Repair Facilities, are bringing depot-level expertise closer to the fight, ensuring assets are ready when and where they are needed.
In 2025, 2050 and beyond, a resilient Defense Industrial Base is critical for our ability to project power, sustain operations, modernize our forces, and surge production with advanced technologies. The OC-ALC is not waiting for the future to arrive. We are building it, one innovation, one skilled artisan, and one commitment to the warfighter at a time. The optimization to secure our future begins today, right here in Oklahoma City.
The OC-ALC is leading the organic sustainment charge, ensuring our Air Force remains globally capable, ready and lethal. Hear more about the OC-ALC, by listening to Birg. Gen. Moore, commander of the OC-ALC on the Tinker Talks Podcast.