Leaders across the Air Force Civil Engineer enterprise are focused on a common objective of delivering infrastructure that directly supports the mission. On the last day of this year’s Requirement Development Workshop held April 14-16 in Orlando, Florida, Nancy Balkus, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Infrastructure, Energy, and Environment, challenged engineers to rethink how requirements are developed and how infrastructure decisions affect Airmen and Guardians who rely on them every day.
Her message centered on a simple but critical truth: infrastructure is not the end product, mission-ready Airmen are.
“Ready, resilient, and reliable is not just a slogan,” Balkus said. “It is how we deliver power projection.”
Across the enterprise, installations are managing aging infrastructure, evolving mission demands and increasing operational tempo. At the same time, expectations for speed and efficiency continue to grow. Balkus emphasized that meeting these demands begins with clearly defined, mission-focused requirements.
“There is a difference between a need, a requirement, and a solution,” she said. “Too often, we jump straight to the solution without fully defining the requirement.”
This distinction is foundational. A need reflects a gap. A requirement defines the mission effect that must be achieved. A solution is only one possible way to meet that requirement. When these are not clearly separated, projects can become over-scoped, misaligned, or delayed.
Balkus encouraged Civil Engineers to remain disciplined in how they define problems, focusing first on operational outcomes rather than defaulting to a specific type of facility or construction method.
“We need to be solution focused, not method focused,” Balkus said. “If you lock into a method too early, you limit your ability to deliver faster or smarter solutions.”
This approach gives planners and programmers the flexibility to consider a broader range of options, including modular construction, adaptive reuse, and other non-traditional solutions that can often be delivered more quickly and at lower cost. It also aligns with the broader shift across the Department of the Air Force toward accelerating infrastructure delivery to meet mission timelines.
A critical component of this shift is ensuring that requirements clearly communicate mission impact. Balkus emphasized that vague or incomplete requirements slow decision-making and limit the enterprise’s ability to advocate effectively for resources.
“By giving clear requirements, you build mission effects instead of just buildings,” she said. “If the requirement is strong, the solution can evolve.”
Daniel Alvarado, an engineering technician with the 56th Civil Engineer Squadron from Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, echoed Balkus, underscoring that mission success across the Air Force relies on the foundation civil engineers build.
Facilities are not valuable on their own. They are valuable because of what they enable Airmen to do. Whether supporting flightline operations, maintenance activities, or base defense, infrastructure must be tied directly to mission execution.
Balkus also highlighted the human dimension behind every requirement. Infrastructure decisions directly affect the daily lives, performance, and resilience of Airmen and Guardians.
“If we are not delivering the right conditions for our Airmen, then we are not truly supporting the mission,” she said.
She noted that when infrastructure falls short, Airmen are forced to compensate, often at the expense of efficiency, safety, and long-term readiness. Conversely, when facilities are aligned with mission needs, they reduce friction and enable the force to operate at full capability.
“Every requirement we write has a direct impact on the people executing the mission,” Balkus said.
This perspective reinforces the importance of getting requirements right from the beginning. Early decisions in planning and programming shape project outcomes for years, influencing cost, schedule, and operational effectiveness.
Balkus emphasized that disciplined requirement development is one of the most important contributions Civil Engineers can make to the mission.
“You are not just building infrastructure. You are enabling mission execution,” she said.
The Requirement Development Workshop serves as a critical venue for reinforcing these principles across the Civil Engineer enterprise. By bringing together planners, programmers, Requirements and Optimization engineers, and senior leaders, the workshop creates a shared understanding of how to translate strategic priorities into actionable requirements.
“Infrastructure requirement identification plays a crucial role to forecast power projection and combat readiness,” Alvarado said. “Air Force Engineers at every level must be ready to anticipate operational risks, forge enterprise-wide partnerships, and rapidly translate strategic requirements into resilient platforms that guarantee mission success.”
Through sessions like Balkus’ presentation, Civil Engineers are being equipped with the mindset and tools needed to deliver infrastructure that supports both current and future operations. The emphasis on clarity, flexibility, and mission alignment reflects a broader effort to modernize how the Air Force plans, funds, and executes infrastructure.
Tracey Mazey, 100th Civil Engineer Squadron projects program manager and lead programmer from Royal Air Force Mildenhall, United Kingdom, reflected on the session reaching far beyond the engineering and programming field.
“The session was eye-opening because it showcased the full power, depth, and breadth of what is being achieved across the globe in defense, and how every member of the Department of the Air Force contributes to that mission,” Mazey said.
As installations continue to evolve, the role of Civil Engineers remains central to ensuring the force is prepared. Infrastructure that supports ready Airmen is not built by chance. It is built through disciplined planning, clear requirements, and a constant focus on mission outcomes.
When Civil Engineers define requirements with precision, maintain flexibility in execution, and focus on mission effects, they deliver infrastructure that strengthens readiness across the force.