Photo By Senior Airman Mark Sulaica | Members of the 15th Maintenance Squadron and 154th MXS perform routine maintenance on...... read more read more
JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, HAWAII— Conditions-based authority, or CBA, is a strategy implemented to empower Airmen to make on-the-spot decisions to meet requirements while operating in rapidly changing environments.
At the 15th Maintenance Group, the CBA initiative began with a simple commander’s directive that defined what authorities the unit was willing to delegate down the chain of command. After higher headquarters drew up the guidance, maintainers knew what decisions they had the authority to make in specific conditions such as exercises or contingency operations.
“CBA steers away from prescribed policy to allow us to delegate authorities to lower levels that would not otherwise be within that delegate’s authority,” said Col Dennis Knight, 15th Maintenance Group commander. “What we’ve done is pushed decision-making to the lowest level to reduce bureaucracy and speed up the timeline of getting the mission done.”
For example, during exercises or contingency operations, a commander may not be on location when hub-and-spoke operations occur. The commander may be the only person able to make a decision about how long a maintainer is working, but under this new guidance, delegated personnel with boots on the ground utilizing CBA have the power to make the decision in that specific scenario.
“CBA is about challenging traditional boundaries, granting autonomy and trusting our talented Airmen to make informed decisions that drive mission success,” said 1st Lt. Jason De La Mora, 15th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron C-17 Aircraft Maintenance officer in charge. “Our team members possess exceptional skills and abilities, and CBA provides a platform to unleash their talent, nurture their growth, showcase their capabilities and push the mission forward with zero delay.”
The idea of CBA is not entirely new. It is derived directly from 2024 Air Force doctrine and aligns with the existing mission-ready Airman concept. It is also included in a recent Air Force Instruction for the maintenance career field.
“The fact that CBA is now included in the new [instruction] because of our groundwork and innovation is a testament to its value and potential,” said De La Mora. “As we continue to refine and expand CBA, I have no doubt that it will play a critical role in shaping the future of military operations.”
Although some concerns have been expressed due to the high-stakes nature of military operations, Tech. Sgt. Weston Reinert, 15th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron C-17 Aircraft Section non-commissioned officer in charge, expressed confidence in the capabilities of the Airmen.
“Every maintenance task our Airmen perform on the aircraft carries inherent risks, but they recognize the critical nature of their responsibilities in ensuring aircraft airworthiness and mission accomplishment,” said Reinert. “Trust is everything in our line of work.”
As the concept continues to be implemented into day-to-day operations, leadership is looking forward to seeing the new ways CBA can improve maintenance operations.
| Date Taken: | 02.12.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 02.12.2025 20:57 |
| Story ID: | 490684 |
| Location: | JBPHH, HAWAII, US |
| Web Views: | 80 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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