Photo By Staff Sgt. Makenna Patterson | U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Laura Lenderman, Pacific Air Forces deputy commander, delivers...... read more read more
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JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii –U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Laura Lenderman, Pacific Air Forces deputy commander, delivered the opening keynote for Pacific Operator Training Day at the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum on Ford Island, April 28, 2026.
As a critical first step in the 613th Air Operations Center AI Integration Sprint, this event aimed to improve modernization throughout the Pacific theater by closing the gap between new AI capabilities and real-world operator adoption.
Lenderman spoke about how the AOC was finding innovative ways of harnessing data and Al and how leadership was empowering the team to move faster.
“We have many of the tools we need, and we have the right people in the command and in this room to employ these tools effectively,” she said.
She spoke about how the AOC is evolving in how it operates with the new AI, data-driven tools.
“This requires a shift—not just in technology—but in how we think, how we work, and how we trust new ways of operating,” Lenderman said.
To drive that shift, the event combined foundational information and AI education with small-group program demonstrations to directly integrate emerging technologies in existing work flows to empower confident adoption by operators.
Over 100 attendees from the joint force, including PACAF, the 613th AOC, U.S. Army, and U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, attended the event. The training was designed to deliver immediate operational outcomes by automating time-consuming processes and freeing up cognitive capacity for faster decision-making, preparing operators for the next day’s event; a classified integration session.
During her remarks, Lenderman stressed to the operators that the command can never be too busy to innovate, a sentiment previously expressed by Gen. Kevin Schneider, commander of Pacific Air Forces, and one she said they are making happen.
With adversaries rapidly advancing their own capabilities, the speed of adoption matters. By empowering operators with the tools to work smarter and faster, PACAF and its joint partners continue building the foundation for scaling AI-enabled operations across the Indo-Pacific theater.
| Date Taken: | 05.04.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 05.04.2026 19:20 |
| Story ID: | 564349 |
| Location: | HAWAII, US |
| Web Views: | 21 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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