Gen. Kevin Schneider, Pacific Air Forces commander, reinforced PACAF's focus on warfighting effectiveness, lethality and readiness during the Air and Space Force Association's Warfare Symposium in Aurora, March 4.
Schneider was joined on a panel discussing "Agile Combat Employment Mindset" by his command chief, Chief Master Sgt. Kathleen McCool, as well as Gen. James Hecker, commander of U.S. Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa, and his command chief, Chief Master Sgt. Randy Kwiatkowski. The senior leaders focused on enhancing Air Force combat capabilities in contested overseas environments, with discussions on ACE, infrastructure resilience and joint interoperability.
"The days of operating from secure, fixed bases are over," Schneider said. "The Indo-Pacific's vast distances and evolving threats demand a flexible, resilient force that can operate from multiple, dispersed locations under contested conditions."
Schneider stressed the importance of building and sustaining airpower in a fight, highlighting PACAF's commitment to hardened infrastructure and dispersed basing.
"The Air Force wants to populate the Indo-Pacific with dispersed operating locations to support ACE, but we also need to invest heavily in resilient infrastructure at main operating bases," he explained. "It's about balancing the ability to generate and project combat power while remaining survivable."
To ensure lethality and sustained operations, Schneider emphasized contested logistics as a critical factor.
"We can't assume we'll have the luxury of stable logistics," he said. "We need to prepare for austere conditions, degraded networks and disruptions to sustainment chains - our forces must be self-sufficient, mobile and capable of rapid adaptation."
A key initiative planned to reinforce these priorities is Resolute Force Pacific, a key summer 2025 exercise that will test PACAF's ability to rapidly deploy, disperse and sustain airpower across the Indo-Pacific in a contested environment.
The exercise will stress ACE concepts, logistics under fire and the ability to generate combat power from multiple locations, ensuring U.S. forces can operate effectively in a real-world fight.
"We are training to move fast, fight under attack, and sustain combat operations in ways we haven't had to in decades," Schneider said.
In addition to infrastructure and logistics, interoperability with allies remains a key warfighting advantage in the Indo-Pacific, a key aspect collectively nurtured daily across the region.
"Having our allies and partners by our side is a huge benefit, but it also creates unique challenges that we need to overcome to increase our overall effectiveness," Schneider said.
He pointed to joint exercises, like REFORPAC, and real-world contingency operations as proof of growing integration and operational alignment with partners like Japan, Australia, South Korea and the Philippines.
McCool also provided her thoughts, reinforcing the critical role of Airmen in ensuring ACE's success, while highlighting how Mission Ready Airman training is preparing warfighters for high-pressure, real-world combat environments.
"Part of creating an ACE mindset requires Airmen to work outside of their core specialty and train as a cross-functional team," she said.
She pointed to the Multi-Capable Airman Rodeo last year in Yokota, Japan, as an example of how Airmen are learning to operate independently in expeditionary conditions.
Schneider closed by reaffirming PACAF's focus on enhancing warfighting effectiveness and ensuring the command is postured to deter aggression and project power in a contested fight.
"Our ability to fight and prevail in any contested environment depends on our ability to generate sorties and execute combat operations while under attack," he said. "We are not preparing for an exercise - we are preparing to win the next fight. We must be ready."
