SECAF Honored with AFA’s Symington Award

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md., Sept. 11, 2023 — The Air & Space Forces Association presented the W. Stuart Symington Award to the Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall at the 2023 Air, Space & Cyber Conference. The award is presented annually in recognition of the most outstanding contribution to national defense by a civilian, and is named for W. Stuart Symington, the first Secretary of the Air Force.

In 2022, Secretary Kendall outlined “Seven Operational Imperatives,” a roadmap for bringing the new technologies and innovative thinking required for the Air and Space Forces to deter and, if necessary, defeat modern adversaries. These Operational Imperatives have since enabled both the Air Force and the Space Force to focus on what matters to defeat the threats of today while evolving to face those threats of tomorrow.

Kendall is the 26th Secretary of the Air Force responsible for organizing, training, and equipping the U.S. Air and Space Forces. He directs the Department of the Air Force’s annual budget exceeding $173 billion. An Army veteran who has served as Pentagon acquisition chief and a Raytheon executive, Kendall has more than 50 years of experience in engineering, management, defense acquisition, and national security affairs across private industry, government, and the military. He is a distinguished graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and, among many other service awards, has been honored with the Presidential Distinguished Executive Service Award.

Congratulations, Secretary Kendall!