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SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, ILL. (USTCNS)-The information technology systems at the U.S. Transportation and Air Mobility Commands are major achievements that have been fundamental in fighting the war on terrorism, E.C. "Pete" Aldridge, Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics said during a visit here.

Aldridge, who is responsible for all major acquisition programs for the Department of Defense, toured USTRANSCOM and AMC on Thursday.

"The thing that impressed me the most is the information technology operation," he said. "A huge amount of data goes into this system-the number of aircraft, where they are, their status, fuel capacity, cargo loads. All that is integrated into a package that says a commander needs something at this place and time and making it happen at that place and at that time without mistakes is an enormous task."

The Under Secretary, making his first visit to Scott Air Force Base since his appointment by the president last year, said following his tour that the IT program is "phenomenal."

"I think it is probably the most impressive part of my visit," he said. "Especially if you think about the war on terrorism and our worldwide support. The talent that is here has to keep up with this information technology evolution because it changes monthly. The people here are capable of doing that."

Aldridge has a personal interest and longtime involvement in the technology area. He served as president of McDonnell Douglas Electronic Systems company from 1988 to 1992. He was appointed Secretary of the Air Force in 1986 and served until 1988. He is a member of the Defense Science Board and a former astronaut-in-training.

The Under Secretary also stressed that IT is central to the DOD's warfare strategy.

"Years ago in the Cold War we could see the Soviet Union and how many forces they had and where and we could design a force structure to handle that," he said. "Now, we do not know who the enemy is going to be or when he is going to strike. So our strategy has moved from a threat-based strategy to one built on capabilities. Now we ask, what capabilities do we want? We want air dominance, we want superior naval forces, we want information dominance."