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Chief Scientist joins Air Mobility Command

  • Published
  • Air Mobility Command Public Affairs
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. --  Air Mobility Command recently welcomed Dr. Donald R. Erbschloe as the Chief Scientist for Gen. Duncan McNabb, commander, AMC.

As the command's chief scientist, Dr. Erbschloe will be the principal advisor for the commander on science and technical issues. Through his scientific counsel, technical advice and guidance, AMC will become more efficient and better equipped to meet the needs of the warfighter.

Furthermore, Dr. Erbschloe plans to give AMC a voice in the scientific and technical world by sharing its mission and vision with other agencies. By understanding the scientific landscape, AMC will be more successful in the implementation of its own scientific and technical endeavors.

"I hope to help General McNabb achieve what he wants ... by incorporating and integrating technologies that can help us fine-tune ground and air times," said Dr. Erbschloe.

He added that one of the best things about being a chief scientist is having the opportunity to act as a bridge between the scientific and operations communities.

For example, people throughout the command present General McNabb with technical solutions. "As chief scientist, my job is to look at the technical merit of those solutions and help the commander...prioritize our very scarce resources," said Dr. Erbschloe.

Additionally, Airmen today are technologically savvy because of advances with such things as computers, game stations, personal digital assistants and iPODs. Dr. Erbschloe plans to work with this resource by being, "an observer and learning how [Airmen] integrate some of this new technology into their jobs."

"I'm most interested in technology and its impact on the Airmen on the flightline," said Dr. Erbschloe. The challenge that AMC faces is to find a way for science and technology to help Airmen with the tasks and challenges they face, he said.

Dr. Erbschloe will use his position to help "remove the roadblocks" Airmen hit when trying or integrating something new.

Prior to becoming AMC chief scientist, Dr. Erbschloe served as the deputy and acting chief operating officer for the Department of Energy's Office of Science. The Office of Science is the largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States. Additionally, Dr. Erbschloe served as the military commander of the Air Force Office of Scientific Research before his DOE tour.

"AMC is an extremely exciting command," said Dr. Erbschloe. "It's amazing what our troops can do. I jumped at the chance to come back to AMC and now, I am home."

In fact, his Air Force career started with AMC in when it was Military Airlift Command. "I grew up learning mobility, airlift [and] logistics. I love this life ... [and] the mission [because] it's very rewarding," said Dr. Erbschloe.

Dr. Erbschloe served 28 years in the Air Force before retiring in 2004. Throughout this time, his primary expertise was in operations, academia, and scientific and technical management. Additionally, as a C-141 pilot, he flew missions supporting numerous USAF combat operations including DESERT SHIELD/STORM.

Furthermore, Dr. Erbschloe earned his doctorate in physical electronics at Oxford University in the United Kingdom. He joins a select group of executive-level chief scientists at Air Force major commands and headquarters.