Cody underscored the complexity of taking care of Airmen from the ground up. 

“This is a family business,” Cody said. “For most of our Airmen, this is the family they have for most of their waking hours.”

Striking the balance between the Air Force family and the family at home is a major area Cody focused on during his tenure. He attributed the areas of deliberate development of Airmen, and caring for Airmen and their families, for creating more resilient Airmen.

Cody highlighted the ways development created a highly-educated enlisted force.

Currently every core career field has credentialing opportunities online, and the Community College of the Air Force graduated a record 23,000 Airmen in 2016. 

“It is absolutely essential to the future of our Air Force that we continually and deliberately develop those serving in the profession of arms,” Cody said.

Cody also discussed the challenges the Air Force faces when caring for Airmen and their families, and the progress currently being made.

“There are countless things we have done to bring Airmen and their families together,” Cody said. “We’re having conversations about the challenges they’re facing and what’s needed.”

The Air Force has expanded the military family life counselor program and different major commands have developed their own resiliency programs, including RUFit in U.S. Air Forces in Europe.

During the conference, Cody’s wife, retired Chief Master Sgt. Athena Cody, invited spouses to participate in social media forums to join the discussion on challenges Air Force families face.