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.
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.
“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.”