Gina Ortiz Jones, Under Secretary of the Air Force

Strategic Context and Ukraine Conflict

• Under Secretary Gina Ortiz-Jones identifies the "will" and "capability" of the Ukrainian people as the defining factors in their resistance against Russia.
• The U.S. administration has committed over $2 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since taking office, with more than $1 billion provided in the last several weeks alone.
• NATO's strength is framed not only by Article 5 (collective defense) but critically by Article 2, which roots the alliance in shared values and international security commitments.
• The Air Force's role in Ukraine is defined as "organize, train, and equip" forces rather than direct combat command, which remains the responsibility of U.S. European Command (General Walters).
• The conflict has highlighted a need to avoid "mirror-imaging" assumptions about adversaries and to validate plans through close integration with allies who possess different geographic perspectives.
• A central concept for future deterrence is "integrated deterrence," which combines military capabilities with diplomatic and commercial sector resources across the U.S. Government.

Modernization and Operational Imperatives

• The Fiscal Year 2023 budget is characterized by "transformation" to address the "pacing challenge" posed by China, distinct from previous operations focused on violent extremist organizations.
• Seven operational imperatives have been identified by Air Force Secretary Kendall to maintain air and space superiority against near-peer competitors.
• A primary imperative is defining an "effective and resilient space order of battle," recognizing space superiority as decisive for GPS, ATM banking, and national security.
• Significant budget investments are directed toward missile warning and tracking architectures.
• The "Next Generation Air Dominance Family of Systems" is being developed as a sixth-generation fighter program that prioritizes collaborative platforms (including uncrewed autonomous systems) over single-platform reliance.
• The Department acknowledges the "valley of death" in the defense industrial base where innovative ideas often fail to reach the warfighter due to insufficient funding for bridging prototyping to production.
• There is a strategic push to incorporate commercial space sector capabilities, such as space domain awareness, to accelerate operational readiness.

Diversity, Equity, and Policy Reform

• A second iteration of the racial and gender disparity report revealed that while 10% of the Department of the Air Force is women of color, earlier data masked disparities because white women's progress had inflated overall gender statistics.
• Data analysis further revealed that Asian men are the least promoted demographic group within the Department, indicating specific biases in promotion pipelines.
• Under Secretary Jones has mandated a review of approximately 80 gender-specific policies to determine if they retain operational relevance in 2022 or constitute barriers to talent retention.
• Specific policy barriers identified include administrative hurdles, such as requiring pregnant candidates to submit waivers to apply for officer promotion programs.
• The leadership is actively working to align data interpretation and policy frameworks to ensure the Department leverages the full spectrum of its talent pool.

Leadership Philosophy and Personal Narrative

• Ortiz-Jones traces her service ethic to her mother, a domestic helper who arrived in the U.S. 40 years ago, and her uncle, a Filipino Navy steward, emphasizing the "American Dream" facilitated by military opportunity.
• Her ROTC experience was marked by a mandatory disclaimer requiring her to pledge abstention from homosexual behavior under "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," which she views as a policy that denied service to qualified individuals.
• To mark the 10-year anniversary of the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," the Air Force hosted a gathering of service members who joined specifically because of the policy's repeal, highlighting the talent influx resulting from the change.
• Ortiz-Jones advises professionals on three pillars of success: be kind, work hard to avoid the critique of not trying, and be "so good they cannot ignore you."
• Her decision-making approach involves continuously asking "why, why not," and demanding data to validate assumptions and policies.
• She expresses a commitment to ensuring she is not the "last" woman of color to hold her position, aiming to change policies and realities to pave the way for others.
• Ortiz-Jones notes she remains highly motivated eight months into her tenure, despite 13-hour workdays, driven by the opportunity to lead high-end combat readiness and inclusive growth.