Shannon Carabajal
SAN ANTONIO, Texas – More than 170 leaders from Air and Space Forces installations gathered in San Antonio Oct. 31 to Nov. 1 for the annual Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center Mission Support Leadership Summit.
With a focus on mission support in Great Power Competition, the summit provided a platform for attendees to learn about AFIMSC initiatives and engage in open dialogue to discuss trends and issues affecting their missions.
“We’re here to have a conversation, to hear what’s on your minds,” said Maj. Gen. John Allen, AFIMSC commander, in his summit remarks.
Earlier this year, the Department of the Air Force unveiled plans for reshaping, refocusing and reoptimizing to ensure continued supremacy and better posturing to deter and, if necessary, prevail in an era of GPC.
Reoptimizing the force for GPC will have a big impact on installation and mission support, said Col. Anthony Figiera, AFIMSC director of operations.
“This is a culture shift,” he said in his opening remarks. “The Department of the Air Force is fundamentally changing how we're organized to deploy, preparing Airmen to deploy, and determining where, how often and in what formation we'll deploy them. This is going to drive a lot of changes.”
Along with discussions about the impact of GPC, the summit provided updates about some of the more than 150 centralized capabilities and programs AFIMSC manages for DAF installations. Topics included enterprise sourcing solutions, financial management, child and youth programs, food service transformation, and housing privatization, among others.
The opportunity for installation leaders to come together and learn about the latest initiatives from AFIMSC was very valuable, said Col. N’Keiba Estelle, 19th Mission Support Group commander at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas.
“Coming here and being able to talk to senior leaders has been great,” she said. “I was able to talk to Maj. Gen. Allen about some of our deployed combat wing and air base wing initiatives out of Little Rock … just to get his thoughts on our particular potential transition into that arena next summer was very helpful.”
The event also helped build a shared identity and camaraderie among installation leaders, said Maj. Tiffany Lewis, a summit project officer and Air Force Services Center readiness and plans chief. “Everyone brings unique experiences to the table. They've all reached their positions through different paths and learning from each other can be incredibly valuable.
“They all work at installations with distinct missions. Understanding the differences and challenges of these missions benefit everyone, especially as we reoptimize for GPC. Collaboration and communication across different missions will become increasingly important, and events like this can help facilitate that.”
The collaborative environment meant attendees could reach the best solutions to their base-level challenges, added Chaplain (Maj.) James Taylor, a summit project officer and member of the AFIMSC Chaplain Corps Division.
"In-person collaboration fosters a deeper connection to the material compared to virtual exchanges,” he said. “While we can accomplish a lot virtually, being in a room full of people discussing challenging topics can inspire excellence and bring out the best in conversations.”
Estelle agreed, saying the opportunity to network with leaders from other bases will help her at Little Rock.
“The best part of the summit was getting to meet some of my peers and talking face-to-face with some I've been communicating with since I took command back in 2023,” she said. “It was a great chance to discuss our experiences, share stories and gain insights into each other's work.”
AFIMSC holds two MSL summits each year, one virtually and one in-person. The next virtual summit is planned for May 2025.
Maj. Gen. John Allen, Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center commander, hosts a question-and-answer session at the AFIMSC Mission Support Leadership Summit, Nov. 1 in San Antonio, Texas. With a focus on mission support in Great Power Competition, the summit provided updates about some of the more than 150 centralized capabilities and programs AFIMSC manages for Department of the Air Force installations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Craig Z. Rodarte) 
Col. Peter Abercrombie II, 56th Mission Support Group commander at Luke AFB, Arizona, participates in a question-and-answer session hosted by Maj. Gen. John Allen, Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center commander, during the AFIMSC Mission Support Leadership Summit, Nov. 1 in San Antonio, Texas. More than 170 leaders from Air and Space Forces installations gathered in San Antonio Oct. 31 to Nov. 1 for the summit. (U.S. Air Force photo by Craig Z. Rodarte) 
Col. Jimmy Jeoun, housing division chief for the Air Force Civil Engineer Center, speaks to attendees of the AFIMSC Mission Support Leadership Summit, Nov. 1 in San Antonio, Texas. The summit provided a platform for attendees to learn about AFIMSC initiatives and engage in open dialogue to discuss trends and issues affecting their missions. (U.S. Air Force photo by Craig Z. Rodarte)