On April 24, Maj. Gen. Jason Armagost, Commander of the 8th Air Force and the Joint-Global Strike Operations Center (J-GSOC), met with key leaders from Louisiana’s defense community, including representatives from the Air and Space Forces Association, the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA), the Military Officers Association of America, and the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association. Also in attendance were members of the Military Affairs Council and Barksdale Forward.
The gathering, hosted by Collaboration Link, a defense-focused division of BRF, featured a fireside chat between Maj. Gen. Armagost and retired Lt. Gen. Bob Elder. Lt. Gen. Elder, former commander of the 8th Air Force, serves as Chair of Collaboration Link’s board, Louisiana state representative for the Air and Space Forces Association, and sits on both the Red River NDIA board and the national NDIA C3 Committee for Cyber Augmented Operations.
Maj. Gen. Jason Armagost, Commander of the 8th Air Force and the Joint-Global Strike Operations Center (J-GSOC), right, met with key leaders from Louisiana’s defense company.
During the event, Maj. Gen. Armagost provided an in-depth overview of the mission sets within the 8th Air Force and J-GSOC and discussed current and future #MightyEighth operations. The conversation offered community members insight into the evolving priorities of Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) and emphasized the importance of aligning local professional associations with national defense initiatives.
At a gathering hosted by BRF’s Collaboration Link, defense industry representatives and defense association members met to discuss current and future #MightyEighth operations.
“This event was designed to reconnect and realign the professional associations that support AFGSC, the 8th Air Force, and Barksdale Air Force Base,” said Brandon Jacobson, Executive Director of Collaboration Link. “Some of these organizations have remained active, while others have atrophied since COVID. We received great feedback on the event, and people appreciated Maj. Gen. Armagost’s transparency. It was especially meaningful to have both a current and former 8th Air Force Commander in dialogue on key issues.”
Jacobson also serves as Vice President of both the Air and Space Forces Association’s Ark-La-Tex Chapter and the NDIA’s Red River Chapter. “Professional associations are essential for networking, advocacy, and regional defense growth,” he added. “If you’re interested in getting involved, please reach out.”
About BRF
A nonprofit economic development organization with a mission to diversify and grow the region’s economy, BRF is building a regional defense industry cluster in North Louisiana to promote innovation and solve U.S. Air Force challenges while enhancing the economic vitality of the region and state.
About Collaboration Link
A division of BRF, Collaboration Link focuses on building a robust innovation and defense ecosystem to support AFGSC and Barksdale AFB. It also co-hosts the annual Nuclear Triad Symposium at LSUS and works to strengthen the regional industrial base. For more information or to get involved, contact Brandon Jacobson at [email protected].