Air Force Chief of Staff defines standard of excellence

  • Published
  • By Ed White
  • Air Force Space Command Public Affairs
PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. (AFPN) --  Gen. Norton Schwartz, Air Force Chief of Staff, came to Air Force Space Command for a series of briefings and then visited with Peterson AFB personnel at an open forum at the base theater.

His comments included what he called "vital things," the foremost of which is the need for the Air Force to go "back to basics."

"It is being loyal to those things that have inspired Air Force members for years. That is our fundamental values of Integrity, Service and Excellence. Excellence is the byword.

"We are going to re-emphasize compliance in our routines and in our inspection processes and our accountability and in our military discipline generally. We are going to return to the fundamentals of precision and reliability in all that we do."

General Schwartz made it clear that in the Air Force, close enough is not good enough.
"We have lost focus in the nuclear area and we are going to make it right," he said.

To earn the trust of the American people, he said, the expectation is that when something is broken, it must be fixed.

"We are going to have a big tent Air Force, in which everyone is all in. This is an important notion and the way we are going to do this is to start with the nuclear enterprise. We are going to restructure, re-organize and re-enterprise top-to-bottom excellence...and in doing so, we will find that the things we do [in the nuclear enterprise] will apply to other disciplines in our Air Force."

There were several key points General Schwartz wanted all Airmen, civilians and contractors on the Air Force team to remember as they work the Air Force's priorities.

"We are going to keep the promise to our joint team mates, to our Airmen and their families.

"Precision and reliability is the standard regardless of job, or grade, or specialty. 

"Everyone contributes--every single person. Every discipline matters. 

"We should be proud of what we do for all, for America, for the Joint team, for our Air Force and for our Airmen and their families.

Fundamental to the Air Force, the general concluded, is the calling we have of 'Send Me,' and how that sense of duty is part of our heritage and contribution to the Joint fight.
"Do I believe that 'in-lieu-of' assignments are beneath us? No, I don't. We should celebrate what our folks are doing in non-traditional roles, because the Nation requires it. And when that young Airman who is performing in a non-traditional role becomes a chief master sergeant, think how different our Air Force will be--for the better."

General Schwartz also took questions from the audience. Questions ranged from personnel issues to tour length in Southwest Asia to hurricane support. Airmen also asked questions about the personnel end strength and the nuclear enterprise.

On the nuclear enterprise issue, General Schwartz commented that the nuclear deterrent mission is still relevant and that the Air Force was working hard to ensure the future structure of that mission best reflects its importance. His final message to the audience was clear.

"This is about credibility. That is what it boils down to: we, as an Air Force, are on the way back."

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