Gen. Norton Schwartz

The general said the Air Force musy get "back to basics" on the long list of tasks that go into managing the service's nuclear components. All personnel involved in those missions must practice "precision and reliability in the execution of the mission."

Schwartz stressed that the Air Force's nuclear mission as one "where anything less than perfection is not acceptable and that is the standard." Schwartz has repeatedly vowed to correct the problems that led to the mishaps, stating bluntly: "the bottom line is, we lost focus and that focus is coming back."

In October 2008, Schwartz and Air Force Secretary Michael Donely announced sweeping changes to how the service carries out his nuclear and bomber missions. The duo announced creation of a new Global Strike Command, which will be led by a three-star general, to oversee both missions. Previously Air Force Space Command handled nuclear weapons and Air Combat Command oversaw the bombers.

Smarter Shopping

The air chief might have moved weapons system acquisition down the service's priority list, but make no mistake that this area still needs plenty of attention.

The service has tried since 2000 to buy about 180 new aerial tankers to replace its aging KC-135 fleet. The program was derailed by scandal in 2001 due to a flawed process under which the service tried to lease KC-767s from Boeing; it was delayed again in 2008 after Boeing successfully challenged the service's Feb. 29, 2008, award of a $35 billion, 179-plane contract to Northrop Grumman and its European partner, EADS. The Air Force also has been trying for years to buy new search-and-rescue helicopters, but protests by several competitors and the service's own flawed proposal evaluation processes have left the program in limbo.

The list goes on.Schwartz must advise the Obama administration on the prickly issue of how many more F-22 fighters and C-17 cargo planes the service needs, and whether the Pentagon should buy the costly Transformational Satellite fleet. Schwartz has been blunt about the import of repairing the service's acquisition system, saying in a September 2008 speech that "the health of defense acquisitions is at stake." He is promising to bring greater discipline to the system and build a process that aims to buy systems that bring "needed performance not excessive performance."

Fence Mending

Schwartz and Donley inherited a service from retired Gen. Michael "Buzz" Moseley and Michael Wynne, the former Air Force chief of staff and secretary, that many defense experts say was suffering from burned bridges.

Schwartz has vowed to do some fence mending in Washington and on Capitol Hill.During the Wynne-Moseley era, lawmakers grew increasingly skeptical of Air Force budget planning, and frustrated by the seemingly constant problems that have plagued the service's major weapon programs. Furthermore, the Army resisted Wynne and Moseley's efforts to bring under Air Force control the joint Army-Air Force Joint Cargo Aircraft program and most U.S. military unmanned aircraft. The former secretary and chief also pushed back at Pentagon directions that had airmen performing missions the stretched-thin Army lacked troops for in Iraq, like driving trucks and guarding bases. Many former defense officials and analysts say Schwartz must play diplomat to show the Army that such heavy-handed tactics have been scrapped.

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