Reserve leader appointed as C3BM’s senior IMA

HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. --

The Air Force Reserve Command's Individual Mobilization Augmentee program delivers uniquely skilled Airmen to the fight.

Col. Kristin Hort is one of those Airmen.

Hort, a reservist, was recently appointed as the Department of the Air Force Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Command, Control, Communications and Battle Management's senior IMA. In that role, she will serve as a strategic advisor to PAE leadership, driving critical enterprise initiatives including acquisition reform, governance restructuring, and senior leader strategic planning.

"We manage everything from orders to promotions, ensuring our reserve workforce receives the same seamless, critical support as the active-duty force," Hort said. "At this level, reserve leadership is highly strategic, and we're constantly focused on ensuring our civilian and military integration is completely synchronized to support our operators."

Hort said that reservists in IMA roles bring unique insights and perspectives to units that the regular active-duty force may not have due to their varied experiences.

"If you've spent your entire career in the military or as a government civilian, you probably haven't worked in the private sector in a long time," she said. "One of the greatest strengths of our reserve force is they hold civilian day jobs across a wide range of complementary industries, bringing unique, highly specialized skillsets directly to our mission. IMAs also help to fill gaps when active-duty personnel aren't available due to deployments or low manning."

In her day job, Hort serves as C3BM's Contested Air Mission Integration Team lead. Her primary objective with the Air MIT is to bridge the gap between conceptual system of systems engineering and actual contractual execution across the Air Force's traditional acquisition divisions.

"Our team designs the architectures and engineering plans, but we rely on our acquisition divisions to put those plans on contract, build the capabilities and ensure they integrate seamlessly with systems inside and outside the DAF Battle Network," she said. "This focus on horizontal, cross-division integration is a major shift, and it is a concept we haven't executed in the acquisition enterprise for a long time."

Hort was competitively selected for her role as the senior IMA in recognition for her hard work and contributions for the Air MIT.

"Kristin brings a unique dual perspective to C3BM, bridging the gap between cutting-edge commercial practices and military program execution," said Brig. Gen. Joshua Williams, portfolio acquisition executive for C3BM. "Wearing both hats allows her to leverage private-sector innovation alongside her proven track record with the Air MIT, enabling her to immediately step in and help us drive the crucial reforms needed to keep us on a wartime footing."

C3BM is responsible for managing the DAF Battle Network, which is the integrated system-of-systems connecting sensor, effector, and logistics systems providing better situational awareness, faster operational decisions, and decisive direction to the force.