AFCEA International Chapter News
ALAMO CHAPTER CHAPTER - Aug 21, 2013

General Offers Pentagon Perspectives

In August, which is usually a quiet month for San Antonio events, the chapter hosted a sold-out audience of 180 for a luncheon featuring Lt. Gen. Michael Basla, USAF, chief of information dominance and chief information officer (CIO) at the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force. Gen. Basla's appearance kick-started a series of highly anticipated luncheon speakers as the chapter wound down monthly activities for the fall in preparation for its flagship chapter event in November. Gen. Basla offered Pentagon-level views on a number of issues facing the Air Force and industry, including the effects of sequestration and efforts to transition to the Joint Information Environment. Cyber stands out as a bright spot in an otherwise challenging environment, he said, noting that about 1,200 additional billets (some of them taken from areas with unfulfilled requirements) will be added to Air Force cyber forces. There is opportunity coming this way, he said, given that organizations like 24th Air Force, the Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency and NSA-Texas will benefit as a result. Senior leaders have commented that cyber is an area where the U.S. needs to hold the line, and it may grow, Gen. Basla said. As an empowered Air Force CIO, Gen. Basla is focused on a number of priorities including cross-domain integration of cyber forces and how best to deliver a standardized, singled shared infrastructure for information services. He spoke to areas that he believes can be safely outsourced to industry, such as data storage, and realms that must remain under the Defense Department umbrella, such as nuclear command and control. In a vigorous question-and-answer session, Gen. Basla also shared insights about the role of cyber in the international realm specifically in response to questions about a Chinese delegation that visited the Pentagon a few days before his appearance in August. The United States and China are not on the same page regarding cyber issues, he said, but “we've got some dialogue going on that wasn't there before.” Gen. Basla emphasized the need to set international standards regarding cyber attacks and defense. “We've got to have some way to say, ‘you are out of bounds, and here's the issue,'” he said. In other business, a number of chapter board members issued calls for volunteers to assist with the annual chapter event, scheduled for November, along with nominations for awards candidates. This year, the event will include the first-ever San Antonio Regional Cyber/IT Summit, a day and a half of unclassified and classified briefings that grew out of ideas for an Air Force Industry Day. Gen. Basla was quick to take note of the strong relationships between industry and government employees in San Antonio, saying, “We need people like this in this country, in the environment we find ourselves in. We need the tightest partnerships we can have.”

Event Photographs:

Lt. Gen. Michael Basla, USAF, chief of information dominance and chief information officer at the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, emphasizes a point during a keynote address to the chapter in August.
Lt. Gen. Michael Basla, USAF, chief of information dominance and chief information officer at the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, emphasizes a point during a keynote address to the chapter in August.
Gen. Basla (l) shares a moment with Senior Master Sgt. Keith Jordan, USAF, chapter vice president of military affairs, after the August luncheon.
Gen. Basla (l) shares a moment with Senior Master Sgt. Keith Jordan, USAF, chapter vice president of military affairs, after the August luncheon.
At the August luncheon, Gen. Basla (second row, far l) pauses for a photo with chapter board members, partners and distinguished visitors.
At the August luncheon, Gen. Basla (second row, far l) pauses for a photo with chapter board members, partners and distinguished visitors.

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