AFMA changes commanders Published Feb. 7, 2012 By Jon Hanson Air Force Personnel, Services and Manpower Public Affairs RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- The Air Force Manpower Agency changed commanders Jan. 27 at the Parr O'Club. Col. Kent White, a 23-year Air Force veteran, succeeded Col. Brian Norman as the agency's 23rd commander during the change of command ceremony. Brig. Gen. Gina Grosso, the Air Force director of manpower, organization and resources at Washington, D.C., presided over the ceremony. "One constant throughout this organization is the people," White said. "I am just impressed with the high quality and caliber of folks we have here, their great attitude and the fact they want to do great things." A major priority for White is the consolidation of mission and work with the Air Force Personnel Center and Air Force Services Agency, which officially occurs in April. Consolidation of the three Field Operating Agencies will streamline processes, create efficiencies and reduce overhead. "If there is ever a time the Air Force needs what manpower brings to the fight it is now," he said. "We certainly have an opportunity to make a difference. We don't have the luxury of time on our side because we have to provide our leadership the tools they need today to shape the Air Force of tomorrow." As a career manpower officer, White has served a variety of positions at all levels. His previous assignment was as the division chief of program development with the directorate of manpower and organization in Washington, D.C. In this position, he was responsible for validating, programming, budgeting and controlling 700,000 total force manpower resources in excess of $38 billion throughout the Air Force. White is responsible for providing Air Force leaders at all levels the tools to identify essential manpower required to effectively and efficiently accomplish the Air Force mission. He guides and directs efforts to determine manpower requirements, develop programming factors, manage Air Force performance management programs, assist with execution of competitive sourcing initiatives and conduct special studies. Norman, AFMA commander since June 2009, retired from the Air Force after 28 years of service. The ceremony followed the change of command. Under Norman's leadership, AFMA delivered an array of manpower determinant reviews defining emerging total force operational missions and base support activities. The 192 reviews the agency conducted encompassed 230,000 authorizations, and the tools produced by AFMA are used by major commands and the Air Staff to define and defend precious manpower allocations. In addition, he led his civilian classification team through a 500 percent surge in requests for personnel actions to achieve Secretary of Defense-mandated contractor-to-civilian conversions. At the same time, the agency successfully supported Air Force Global Strike Command stand-up, the Air Force Cyber Command expansion and growth of other emerging missions.