AFSAC building partnerships through infrastructure

  • Published
  • By Daryl Mayer, AFLCMC Public Affairs
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AFB, Ohio (AFLCMC) – The Air Force Security Assistance and Cooperation Directorate’s Construction Division plays a unique role in building relationships with international partners by literally building.   
 
As the organization responsible for delivering new capabilities to the warfighter, the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center manages nearly all Foreign Military Sales cases through AFSAC. 
 
“Construction is a key component of what we call the total package approach for foreign military sales buys with our foreign partners,” said Dr. Carlos Braziel, AFSAC Construction Division Chief. 
 
Modern weapons systems require a foundation of often specialized infrastructure to operate and maintain those systems. 
 
“A US weapon system aircraft may last for about 20 years,” Braziel said.  “However, the facilities and the runways and other things that we build for the foreign partner may last for 50 or more years and they remember that the US government help them build that. So that is a good testament of our relationship.”
 
The division is currently executing over 29 FMS cases with 22 international partners in 14 different countries.
 
“What we do is we help minimize the risk by bringing in the expertise and the vendors and the workforce that can help them fully define their requirements into something that can be incorporated to the letter of offer and acceptance and also to the acquisition documents for contracting,” Braziel said. 
 
Projects run the gamut from warehouses, hangars and runways as well as infrastructure to support and secure data processing. 
 
To hear the full conversation, you can watch Leadership Log on YouTube at https://youtu.be/TE2JpIsn14E.  You can also listen by searching “Leadership Log” on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Spotify, Overcast, Radio Public or Breaker.