EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- “Anyone who’s been stationed or worked at Eglin and spent time in the Fort Walton Beach area knows, it’s a place that always feels like home.”
That’s how Maj. Gen. Scott Cain, Air Force Test Center commander, began his speech as the guest speaker of Eglin’s Air Force Ball Sept. 13. The event was the culmination of his three-day 96th Test Wing immersion as the new AFTC commander. It also served as a homecoming visit for Cain, a former 96th TW commander from 2019 to 2022.
During his immersion, Cain caught up on Eglin’s mission developments like weapons, artificial intelligence, modernization, interoperability of forces, large force test events like Emerald Flag and community challenges among other topics.
Cain praised Eglin’s expanded use lease program with the Freedom Tech Center, a multi-use development area with housing, hotels and restaurants. The land is community-developed, but leased by the Eglin AFB. He said it is a great example of community and base coming together for mutual benefits.
Also, part of his visit was to layout AFTC priorities and how Eglin will play a role in those plans.
Cain’s main priority is to find out what test needs to do to reoptimize. That priority ties directly to the Air Force’s efforts to reoptimize for Great Power Competition.
“We must operate as an enterprise in order to meet those GPC priorities,” said Cain. “Many of those challenges are multi-domain. They require all the competencies of the wings in the test center, and we have to work together to accomplish that task.”
During his return trip, Cain reflected on how he evolved to see the much larger Air Force Materiel Command picture and how his last two positions prepared him for command in the test and evaluation space.
After leaving Eglin, Cain moved to an AFMC headquarters position. He said he experienced first-hand what it is like to organize, train and equip the command, which in turn informed how he plans to lead at the center level. As the Air Force Research Lab commander, he saw test in its earliest form in the science and technology development phase. He said this deepened his perspective for the test mission and better prepared him for his new command.
Cain said he was grateful to have a second opportunity to lead Eglin in his new AFTC role, after shepherding the wing through the difficulty of the pandemic.
“I’m as motivated as ever to take care of the mission and people of Eglin so that we can ultimately win the next fight,” said Cain.