CMSAF speaks to Eielson Airmen

EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska (AFNS) -- The chief master sergeant of the Air Force visited here Aug. 30 to Sept. 1, to present the Airmen here with new perspectives, praise and gratitude for serving their nation.

Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Roy spoke about the challenging job ahead of today's Air Force, tomorrow's expectations and how to do more with less during an enlisted call.

Roy briefed Airmen on the important role they play in the nation's security and the requirement for Airmen to steadily adapt and overcome, remaining resilient to a changing battlefront.

The U.S. military, including the Air Force, takes its job very seriously and is well-respected as result of servicemembers dedication to a worthy cause, he said.

"The Airmen that serve today are an all volunteer force," Roy said. "Every single one has volunteered to serve in this uniform and serve this nation."

By volunteering to serve in the world's finest Air Force, Airmen have chosen to protect the American way of life. This speaks volumes on Airmen and says a lot about their character and their families, he said.

For the last decade the U.S. has been at war, still men and women continue to make every effort to wear the uniform. Today's Airmen represent only part of the nation's military strength while demonstrating desirable qualities both in and out of uniform, Roy said.

"I believe that our Airmen today are very educated and highly motivated," Roy said. "Those are the qualities of our Airmen that make others say, 'I like what I see in that person and what they do for this nation.' Quite frankly, they are very professional."

According to the chief, the professionalism exhibited by Airmen made the success and growth of this military force possible and helped build lasting relationships with partner nations.

"As Airmen, joint and coalition forces rely on us to be that safe partner who follows operating instructions and won't get people hurt," Roy said. "(In the eyes) of our friends and allies, Airmen are effective in what they do and are there when you need them. They are warriors."

The chief also expanded on the idea of deliberate development and its benefits, and said a great deal of success can be credited to an idea of training with a purpose.

"Airmen gain experience through the positions that they hold and the locations that they serve and a multitude of other duties and tasks they perform," he said.

The chief explained that as a cornerstone to Air Force culture, Airmen rely on purposeful education and training. Combined with that are an Airman's experiences, which are essential elements of deliberately developing an Airmen.

"We need to prepare our Airmen for the future because there are lot of changing dynamics including rapidly changing technologies, new adversaries and different battlefronts," Roy said.

Finally, the chief thanked the men and women of Eielson Air Force Base for serving day in and day out, sometimes in the extreme cold. He stressed the importance of family and their place as one of the main components of our military's support system.

"Our families' continual support says an awful lot about our Airmen and their families," Roy said. "It's not just about the Airman; it's also the support mechanism behind that Airman."