Analysis connection.

Man masters nature not by force but by understanding. That is why science has succeeded where magic failed: because it has looked. for no spell to cast on nature.

--Jacob Bronowski, "The Creative Mind," Science and Human Values, 1956

And, we add, the same is true in military affairs and military logistics. While many are looking for the magic spell, the right incantation, to make things go as they wish, we are looking for understanding. How do things really work? Only in that way will we master our affairs.

What We Did This Year

What didn't we do this year? LGY analysts were involved in all phases of the Air Force Logistics Management Agency (AFLMA) operations this year, from contributing to decisions about the future mission of the AFLMA, to helping create and revise the new AFLMA Project Manager's Handbook, to civilians transitioning to the much-touted National Security Personnel System (NSPS), to writing articles for the Air Force Journal of Logistics, to leading projects, to contributing to humanitarian efforts, to helping the AFLMA's morale and welfare, and manning many of the Agency's additional duties, because our military personnel were deployed to Afghanistan or Iraq. In summary, there is probably nothing, or not much, which LGY didn't do, or was not involved in this past year.

This was true even as our numbers continue to dwindle, as other Air Force organizations do also. This is not an exhaustive account, but a reflection on what we have been involved in, what we have accomplished, and where we hope to go.

First Lieutenant Frank lubelt did a superb analysis of reviewing a set of recommendations for replacing the presidential aircraft fleet in a project titled Presidential Aircraft Replacement: Analysis of Alternatives. This will lead to our president and his staff being better able to handle crises in future years. He led the project "Maintenance Metrics Handbook," commissioned by the Director of Maintenance, Deputy Chief of Staff, Installations and Logistics. This handbook will aid Air Force maintainers and managers of maintainers to a better understanding of what they are doing and what they are managing, and better ways to do that. In addition, First Lieutenant lubelt also led our Christmas party, the AFLMA summer picnic, and has kept building 205 running as physical facilities manager--a very large and sometimes frustrating task.