The USAF Standard Desktop Configuration (SDC)

Overview

The US Air Force is one of the largest and most sophisticated IT organizations in the world. The US Air Force has over one hundred bases located in the United States, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. More than 500,000 Microsoft Windows-based desktops and laptops are deployed at those bases. Additionally, more than 40,000 Microsoft Windows-based servers are deployed at Air Force bases around the world. These computers directly support Air Force programs, missions, and operations. This paper reviews the ongoing US Air Force Standard Desktop Configuration program at an executive level. It provides information on how the program originated, its current status and why in just two years it has been nearly completely fielded across the unclassified networks of the Air Force.