Deryl Israel, executive director of the Warner Robins Air Logistics Center at Robins, told the more than 850 attendees, the largest in symposium history: “If you’re not helping us improve aircraft availability, lower cost and improve product capability, then what are you working on? Help us help the warfighter around the globe.”
Maj. Gen. Polly Peyer, Warner Robins ALC commander, keynoted the Wednesday morning session, outlining a list of challenges, initiatives and opportunities for private industry to partner with the local center.
The agenda for Wednesday afternoon and most of Thursday was filled with a host of smaller-group, breakout sessions covering an array of mission areas at Robins including avionics, aircraft overhaul, software development and many others.
The purpose of the event is to better acquaint private industry with current and future Air Force requirements and contracting opportunities. Robins is the sponsoring agency along with the Aerospace Industry Council of the Warner Robins Area Chamber of Commerce.
“Partnerships are of utmost importance to us,” Peyer noted during her address. “They are a key enabler for achieving our strategic goals.”
She said another objective was to sustain the nation’s industrial base.
“That’s important for the Air Force and the nation,” Peyer stressed. “And despite the (budget and force) draw downs, there are many opportunities out there.”
The commander emphasized several data points for the symposium crowd.
She said Robins contracted for $5.34 billion in goods and services during fiscal year 2009, making the base a target-rich location for companies desiring to do business with the Air Force.
“We also contracted for $4.66 billion in foreign military sales,” Peyer added. “That’s almost as big as our portfolio for the Air Force as we work to improve the capability of other countries so they can defend themselves.”
She said Robins’ workload and requirements are likely to grow as worldwide sustainment responsibility for 28 weapon systems and subsystems transitions to the base, driving the need for additional people, skills and facilities.
“Thirteen of those are near term,” she noted, “and we are already hiring people.”
Peyer mentioned the Georgia-Robins Aerospace Maintenance Partnership or G-RAMP project as a significant private industry partnership opportunity.
G-RAMP calls for the construction of a privately funded aircraft maintenance and overhaul center on 544 acres of Warner Robins-owned land adjacent to the base. The goal is to capture Robins contractor workload now going to other locations.
“G-RAMP is not about BRACing Robins,” Peyer stressed, “and it’s not about getting around military construction constraints. But it is an opportunity for (private) industry to co-locate with the Robins industrial complex.”
The general indicated that an aging civilian workforce remains a significant challenge for the center. Currently, 2,035 civilian workers at Robins are eligible to retire. Another 3,673 will be eligible in 2012 and 4,825 more in 2014.
“The economy is probably driving people to stay longer,” she said. “So our job is to identify the skills we will need and develop the right training curriculum.”
The commander said Robins would be in a significant hiring mode this fiscal year in direct contrast to what is happening elsewhere in the area and region.
“We will be hiring about 500 wage-grade workers,” Peyer said. “Those will include sheet metal workers, aircraft overhaul mechanics, electrical and electronic workers. That’s in addition to the 300 we’ve hired since May.”
Another 270 management positions will be filled, she said, focusing on finance, contracting, engineering, program management and logistics management.
Brig. Gen. Lee Levy II, commander of the massive 402nd Maintenance Wing at Robins, said his wing already has 80 partnership agreements with private companies, accounting for one million man-hours each year valued at $103 million.
“We’re looking for the best way to deliver the best value to the warfighter,” he underscored. Levy said he expects significant workload growth in support of C-17s and a number of other systems and subsystems.
“We can’t do what we do alone,” he stressed to the symposium crowd. “And we shouldn’t. You bring so many capabilities to the table.”
Gary Cox, chairman for the three-day event, credited support from Gen. Peyer and her staff for the significant increase in private industry participation.
“That support is particularly important for the breakout sessions,” Cox said. “The more of those we have, the more people come.”
The local NavCom director of operations said the seventh annual symposium was a win-win for everyone. “The whole purpose is to help the warfighter, increase competition, lower cost to the government and lower the risk for contractors,” he said.
Ken Tarnawsky, a Raytheon employee, oversaw registration for the event. He said he was surprised with this year’s turnout.
“Last year, we only had about 650,” Tarnawsky said. “I thought we would see an uptick this year, but nothing like we’ve had. We’ve had an amazing number of walk-ins – people who just heard about it by word of mouth.”
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