AFCS Intercom Article, July 1978, ” Data Automation Agency joins AFCS”
Data Automation Agency joins AFCS
HQ AFCS – AFCS has assumed responsibility for the Air Force Data Automation Agency (AFDAA), headquartered at Gunter AFS, Ala., on June 30, 1978. As part of an Air Force decision, announced April 12, 1978, to realign department headquarters and reduce staff in the National Capital Region, the Air Force will inactivate Headquarters, Air Force Data Automation Agency and realign its units under AFCS.
This realignment will provide AFCS a unique capability to support the worldwide automated data processing (ADP) activities for the Air Force.
AFCS is also tasked to provide responsive ADP support for other governmental agencies as directed by the Air Force chief of staff and as specified in separate agreements authorized by the AFCS commander. This realignment is in keeping with the Air Force’s policy of enhancing centralized management of computer resources, reducing costs and keeping overhead expenses down by grouping similar operations and systems.
AFCS is a major air command with a worldwide mission of providing communications and air traffic control support for all Air Force organizations. With the addition of over 2,100 personnel as a result of the realignment, AFCS has more than 49,500 military and civilian personnel stationed at more than 400 locations around the world.
AFDAA has had responsibility for centralized ADP functions, including acquisition, systems development, and computer evaluation. In addition to the headquarters at Gunter AFS, other AFDAA units are the Phase IV Program Management Office (PMO), the Data Systems Evaluation Office (DSEO), and the Air Force Data Systems Design Center (DSDC). The latter has detachments at Holloman AFB, N.M., RAF Lakenheath, England, and Yokota AB, Japan.
Other AFDAA units are the Air Force Data Services Center (AFDSC) in the Pentagon, the Federal Computer Performance Evaluation and Simulation Center (FEDSIM) at Alexandria, Va., and the Air Force Computer Acquisition Office (AFCAO) at Hanscom AFB, Mass.
About 2,100 manpower positions in these units will be realigned by the command change; however, no AFDAA manpower positions will be relocated from any of the locations involved.
In a few cases, some positions will be functionally realigned into other organizations at the same installation. The three DSDC detachments are being deactivated and their positions assigned to other AFCS units at the same installation.
One key action in this alignment is the establishment of the office of the deputy commander for Data Automation within the AFCS Headquarters at Scott AFB, Ill.
Using the existing AFCS Headquarters staff, the deputy commander for Data Automation will provide management support for former AFDAA units. This will eliminate the need for a separate AFDAA Headquarters staff that had existed at Gunter AFS.
Col. Avon C. James has been named as the AFCS deputy commander for Data Automation. Before assuming this position at Scott AFB, he served as chief of staff for the Electronic Systems Division of the Air Force Systems Command at Hanscom AFB, Mass.
Manpower resources of the AFDAA Headquarters are being realigned or converted into new or strengthened operational capabilities for data automation units at Gunter AFS. These positions will increase the status, responsibility, and manpower of the DSEO, and permit establishment of an ADP security program office to provide an Air Force center of expertise for this critical program.
Further enhancement of other computer resource management programs will be possible with the realignment of former AFDAA Headquarters positions to DSDC. To further centralize Air Force ADP management, the existing AFCS Computer Programming Center (CCPC) at Tinker AFB, Okla., will also be aligned under Col. James. CCPC is a unique organization that provides ADP software development and operational support for Air Force automated telecommunications systems. There will be no manpower changes within CCPC.