Air Force Print News : Under Secretary of the Air Force heads back to school

Defense AT&L, Jan-Feb, 2008 by J.G. Buzanowski

WASHINGTON -- Under Secretary of the Air Force Dr. Ronald M. Sega announced Aug. 30 he was resigning his post for a faculty position at Colorado State University.

Sega, a former astronaut, became the under secretary of the Air Force in 2005. His background with NASA gave him vast credibility as the Air Force revamped several policies regarding space and energy consumption.

"I've cherished my time with the Air Force." Sega said. "It's been an absolute pleasure and an honor to have served with the best air and space force on earth. It's with a heavy heart that my family and I leave the Air Force, but we feel this is the best thing for us right now."

Under his watch, the Air Force satellite acquisition policy was reformatted to a "back-to-basics" approach, as Sega described it Because of the rapid advancement in computer systems, by the time a satellite was built and ready for launch, several aspects of the software would be outdated. This led to delays and cost overruns. Sega changed that.

"We worked directly with our contractors to streamline the acquisition process to make sure satellite systems did what the Air Force needed them to do," he said. "Since then, we've been able to field systems that today's warfighters use every day."

In addition, Sega facilitated the Air Force reaching new records in space flight, creating a new national benchmark of 51 successful rocket launches in a row.

Sega and his staff also took the reins of the Air Force's energy policy. He saw the Service become more energy efficient and helped create a culture of "energy consumption awareness."

Thanks to his vision, the Air Force is counted as the nation's primary purchaser of renewable energy.

Sega personally oversaw a project to test a B-52 Stratofortress configured to fly with a synthetic blend of fuel. Further, he paved the way for the process to be tested on other aircraft, such as the C-17 Globemaster III.

"The Air Force always looks for the way forward," Sega said. "From my days at the Air Force Academy to my time as the under secretary, I'll carry my experiences with the Air Force with me always. I wish everyone associated with this great Service the best of luck and could not be more proud of them."

Buzanowski writes for Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs.

Staff Sgt. J.G. Buzanowski, USAF