美国空军新任第23任参谋长公开信全文

2023年11月2日，美国参议院确认大卫·奥尔文上将为第23任空军参谋长。投票结果是95票对1票。

奥尔文在最后一次确认后说：“能被确认为第23任空军参谋长真的很荣幸。我和妻子吉娜都为这个机会感到谦卑，我们渴望继续为我们的空军、我们的飞行员及其家人服务。”

奥尔文曾担任空军副参谋长，曾被拜登总统提名担任该职位。他接替现任参谋长联席会议主席的布朗将军。

美国空军部长肯德尔说：“我们代表空军部欢迎奥尔文将军担任空军第23任参谋长。”

随着这一确认，就有了组织、培训和装备飞行员的充分法律权力，以满足国家、盟友和合作伙伴当前和新出现的安全需求。奥尔文告诉参议院军事委员会，他将继续推动服务现代化，并完善涉及从作战到飞行员及其家人生活质量等方方面面的政策和做法。

作为一名空军军官，奥尔文有着深厚而成功的记录，他在各种重要和苛刻的角色中有着37年的经验。

奥尔文1986年毕业于空军学院，是一名指挥飞行员，在30多架飞机上飞行了4600多个小时，其中包括800个试飞小时和100个作战飞行小时。

他曾在中队和联队级别指挥，其中包括担任第97空中机动联队和第618航空航天作战中心的指挥官。他还担任过主要的指挥人员任务，并担任过多个联合参谋部职位，包括北约阿富汗空中训练司令部和北约阿富汗训练任务/阿富汗联合安全过渡司令部的指挥官，以及第438航空远征联队的指挥官。

奥尔文曾担任美国欧洲司令部总部战略和政策总监以及联合参谋部战略、计划和政策总监。最近，他担任美国空军副参谋长。

以下为他发布的公开信全文（中文翻译及英文）：

各位飞行员，

当我就任美国空军第23任参谋长时，我带着谦逊、自豪和紧迫感。我们是一支出色的团队，在最佳状态下是因为我们的家庭使我们能够做到这一点，但我们面临着巨大的挑战。然而，我也意识到，这些挑战的许多解决方案并不是一个谜。一段时间以来，我们一直在努力应对战争性质的变化以及美国空军在其中的作用。站在曾经领导——现在仍然领导——我们团队的巨人们的肩膀上，我们可以看得更远、更清楚。

近十年前，威尔士将军（CSAF#20）提出：“空军继续以比潜在对手更快的速度适应和应对的能力是我们未来30年面临的最大挑战。”戈尔德费恩将军（CSAF#21）是将指挥和控制扩展到所有领域的领军人物——JADC2。布朗将军（CSAF#22）一直是我们的核心——不仅提醒我们加速的必要性，而且提醒我们不这样做的后果……失败。肯德尔部长领导空军部不仅将加速工作的重点放在我们的能力现代化上，还将重点放在对我们空军各部门进行深入、诚实的评估上，以执行国防战略，并更好地优化我们面临的战略环境。

我们知道这种评估是必要的，但还不够。我们共同面临着一个日益复杂的安全环境，以及一个不断以惊人速度前进的竞争对手。战争性质变化的特点非常适合我们的服务。自我们成立以来，速度、节奏、射程、灵活性、精确杀伤力和韧性一直是空中力量的标志。因此，我们有责任引领和推进一体化合力，实现这些特色的卓越。未来是模糊的，但我们的任务是明确的：我们现在必须坚持到底。

贯彻执行——我们的飞行员和他们的家人期望和应得的改变。变革值得他们的承诺和牺牲，也适合履行我们为国家服务的誓言。

贯彻执行——将我们的作战命令产品转化为实际有意义的作战能力。这需要深思熟虑和整合，最终目的是最大限度地提高战斗力。

贯彻执行——确保我们的部队演示和部队生成模型与我们当前空军未来作战概念中所阐述的作战方式保持一致。这意味着要调整我们目前的许多行动单元模式，并朝着更快地提高战斗效率的部署团队准备方向发展。

贯彻执行——定义和完善部队设计，以提供部队的最佳大小、形状和组成。这不仅需要纳入目前尚未确定的能力类别（例如协同战斗机），还需要纳入我们必须组织和培训未来飞行员的新能力和技能。

贯彻执行——调整我们的组织结构，以优化实力竞争。这需要将“设计集成”应用于能力开发。这种组织设计应侧重于确保指定的指挥官能够专注于训练、准备和作战——同时拥有必要的权力和责任。与此同时，其他指挥官将专注于支持能力发展和维持。然而，所有这些都将着眼于提供训练有素、装备精良、随时准备好的威慑和冲突部队。

贯彻执行——关于培训转型。这需要继续关注以学习者为中心的培训和教育，以优化个人绩效。我们已经展示了利用技术的新方法，不仅可以提高特定技能的信息吸收和应用，还可以为飞行员量身定制培训，使他们能够在多年的服务中更快、更有效地学习和应用技能。

贯彻执行——利用空军每个角落的创新人才和精神，将这种能量引导到解决空军的关键挑战上。我们必须继续连接和增强创新生态系统，让个人的才华更好地为整个空军团队服务。

最重要的是，我们必须履行我们对团队成功的承诺。这包括要求和保护一个所有飞行员都能充分发挥潜力的环境。这意味着要振奋我们的边锋，同时让我们自己为自己的行为负责。这意味着在保持和执行标准的同时消除障碍。这意味着所有的轴心领导——自上而下，对等，甚至“领导”

我们知道，在这支伟大的空军中，我们每个人都在一个重要的位置服役，在一个具有非凡意义的时代。我想不出比这更光荣的事业了，能担任你们的幕僚长，我感到无比自豪。我们知道挑战……让我们坚持到底，直面挑战！

大卫·奥尔文

Fellow Airmen,

As I step into my new role as the 23rd Chief of Staff of the US Air Force, I do so with humility, pride, and a sense of urgency. We are a remarkable team, at our best because our family enables us to be, but we have formidable challenges ahead. However, I also realize many of the solutions to these challenges are not a mystery. We have been on a journey to address the changing character of war and the USAF role in it for some time. Standing on the shoulders of giants who have led—and are still leading—our team, we can see further and more clearly.

Nearly ten years ago, General Welsh (CSAF #20) posited "The Air Force's ability to continue to adapt and respond faster than our potential adversaries is the greatest challenge we face over the next 30 years." General Goldfein (CSAF #21) was a driving leadership voice behind expanding command and control to all domains—JADC2. General Brown (CSAF #22) has been, among other things, our conscience—reminding us not only of the need to accelerate, but the consequences of failure to do so……losing. Secretary Kendall has led the Department of the Air Force in focusing that acceleration on not only modernizing our capabilities, but the type of deep, honest assessment into all parts of our Air Force needed to execute the National Defense Strategy, and to better optimize us for the strategic environment we face.

We know this assessment is necessary but not sufficient. Together, we face a security environment which grows more complex by the day and a pacing competitor which continues to advance at an alarming rate. The attributes of the changing character of war are ones well suited for our service. Speed, tempo, range, agility, flexibility, precise lethality, and resilience have been the hallmarks of airpower since our inception. Therefore, we have a responsibility to lead and advance the integration of the joint force to achieve excellence in these characteristics. The future holds ambiguity, but our task is clear: we must now follow through.

Follow through—on the changes our Airmen and their families expect and deserve. Changes worthy of their commitment and sacrifice, and suited to fulfill the oaths we take on service of this Nation.

Follow through—to transform the products of our Operational Imperatives into actual meaningful operational capability. This requires thoughtful consideration and integration, with the ultimate aim of maximizing combat effectiveness.

Follow through—to ensure our force presentation and force generation models are aligned to the way we intend to fight as articulated in our current Air Force Future Operating Concept. This means adapting many of our current paradigms for units of action, and orienting toward team preparation for deployment to be combat effective more rapidly.

Follow through—to define and refine the force design that provides the optimum size, shape, and composition of our force. This entails not only incorporation of currently unfielded classes of capabilities (e.g., collaborative combat aircraft (CCA)), but also new competencies and skill sets for which we must organize and train future Airmen.

Follow through—to adapt our organizational structure to optimize for great power competition. This entails applying "integrated by design" to capability development. This organizational design should focus on ensuring designated commanders can focus on training, readiness, and warfighting—with both the requisite authority and accountability. Meanwhile, other commanders will focus on supporting capability development and sustainment. However, all will be oriented on providing well trained, equipped, and ready forces for deterrence and conflict.

Follow through—on training transformation. This requires continued focus on learner-centric training and education to optimize individual human performance. We have demonstrated new ways to leverage technology to not only improve information absorption and application for specific skill sets, but also ways to tailor training to individual Airmen and enable them to learn and apply skill s more rapidly and effectively throughout their years of service.

Follow through—on harnessing the innovative talent and spirit that exists in every comer of our Air Force by vectoring that energy towards solving our key Air Force challenges. We must continue to connect and empower the innovation ecosystem so the brilliance of individuals can better serve the entire Air Force team.

Most importantly, we must follow through on our commitment to the success of the team. This includes demanding and protecting an environment in which all Airmen can reach their full potential. It means uplifting our wingmen, while holding ourselves accountable for our actions. It means removing barriers while maintaining and enforcing standards. It means all-axis leadership- top-down, peer-to-peer, and even "leading up."

We know each of us is serving in a place of importance in this great Air Force, and in a time of extraordinary consequence. I can think of no cause more honorable than this, and I could not be more proud to serve as your Chief of Staff. We know the challenges……let's follow through and meet them head on!

David Allvin