Early lessons shaped Air Force chief of staff's perspective

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Ben Gonzales
  • Air Force News Agency
The Air Force chief of staff recently shared some insight on the experiences that shaped his career and perspective he carries with him in his new position.

The general spoke as part of Air Force Week in the Heartland Aug. 15 at the Criss Auditorium of the Bellevue University here.

Gen. Norton A. Schwartz spoke to 300 community leaders from greater Omaha and members from nearby Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., and then led an Executive Leadership Forum comprised of local business and Air Force leaders. The events were part of Air Force Week in the Heartland which wrapped up Aug. 17.

In his speech to the packed auditorium, the general first thanked the Bellevue and Omaha community for their support of Offutt AFB and all servicemembers.

"We're refreshed in the shade of your hospitality and warmed by your friendship all these long years," General Schwartz said.

Air Force Week in the Heartland ran from Aug. 9 through 17 as an initiative to increase communication with the public. Air Force Week includes community visits and talks by Air Force officials, flight demonstration team performances and displays highlighting the Air Force men and women serving on the front lines.

The 19th Air Force chief of staff was confirmed by the Senate Aug. 12 shortly following the resignations of both the former secretary of the Air Force and the Air Force chief of staff.

"It is not news to anyone that we, as an institution, are at a turning point and at least a significant milestone in our service's history," he said. "I believe it is also a milestone in our journey for leaders and mentors in the lifelong journey from the 'what is' of today to the 'what ought to be' of tomorrow. None of us would be here if we didn't have an abiding faith and a steady hope for what can be."

As the service's top officer, he is responsible for organizing, training and equipping nearly 700,000 active, Reserve, Guard and civilian members. But an instance early in his career set the tone for integrity and excellence.

"I can recall a milestone and a rather intense mentoring session that I had with a senior noncommissioned officer," General Schwartz said. "It was in 1976 in Clark Air Base in the Philippines when I was a young first lieutenant and I got reacquainted with Senior Master Sgt. Mort Freeman, and I haven't been the same since. Sergeant Freeman was an observer on my jumpmaster certification. Drawing from his experience as a senior noncommissioned officer and grasp of the skills and knowledge he acquired, he calculated all the variables and then he busted me on my check ride.

"I wasn't up to his standards," the general said. "There was no other way than the right way for him. You either did it right or you weren't qualified, or you weren't going to progress. Because he knew too many lives depended on his judgment, he didn't care where you went to school, who you hung out with or even what job you might eventually have."

The 1973 graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy is a command pilot with more than 4,400 flying hours. General Schwartz was a crewmember in the 1975 airlift evacuation of Saigon, Vietnam. Through his career, his experiences in the joint environment have helped shape his opinion that the Air Force tomorrow must continue to support the joint fight.

"From my experience as a former combatant commander and as the chief of staff, I can assure you that the mission can only be accomplished when all the services work as the joint enterprise that we are," he said. "A snapshot of our Air Force today reveals that our Airmen are doing it all and working as a joint team and on convoys. Each of us in our nation and certainly in our Air Force face as great a challenge as at any time, certainly in my career. We are going to need young men and women, to continue to step forward and say, 'Send me.'

"We need people who know that accountability, character and leadership are the only answers for the demands that we face," the general said. "We need people who know that the blessings we enjoy come at a price. There are, indeed, some things worth fighting for and that they are well worth defending for those who will follow us. We need people who know that the future of a free people will be written by people who serve. And those with honor, integrity and creativity will justify America's confidence in us. It all depends on what we do now."

Stepping into the role as the top military member in the Air Force, the new chief of staff takes over the service after Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates charged him with restoring excellence in the Air Force's nuclear stewardship.

"I hope we can renew a vision of what can be and rekindle the passion for getting there. I hope we leave here with the "what ought to be" insight and eventually the wisdom to lead and to change what needs changing," General Schwartz said.

"We are at a reflection point in our Air Force. Words alone won't restore confidence because, in the end, people trust only words backed by actions," he said. "We will continue to work every day around the world in the honest pursuit of high standards, precision, accountability and individual reliability that people can count on and people will respect. I'm proud of what we are doing to protect our nation, to restore confidence and to make the world a safer place."

To those serving in the Air Force, the general said to, "be right, be consistent and set standards that will move us from 'what is' to 'what ought to be.' Visualize a bright and promising future. To all I make this simple heartfelt appeal: 'Keep the promise.'"

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