CMSAF Roy visits 48th FW

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. David Dobrydney
  • 48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England (AFNS) --  Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James Roy arrived here March 13, 2012 to visit with Liberty Wing Airmen.

The visit was his first to bases in the United Kingdom.

The first Airmen to meet the CMSAF were members of the 48th Security Forces Squadron and 48th Civil Engineer Squadron Explosive Ordnance Disposal flight. They joined Roy for lunch at the Knight's Table Dining Facility.

Roy used the opportunity to chat with the Airmen on subjects ranging from favorite sports teams and keeping in touch with family during deployments to volunteering for special duty assignments. His visit had a profound effect on Airman 1st Class Leah Billings, 48th SFS patrolman, who recently arrived at the 48th FW.

"I feel very inspired," Billings said. "It's only my second day [on the job] and I've met the chief master sergeant of the Air Force."

Following the meal, the CMSAF visited the 48th Medical Group and 48th Maintenance Group Propulsion Facility. Everywhere he went, Airmen were struck by his positive demeanor.

"He's really down-to-earth, really people-friendly," said Staff Sgt. DaShon Hall, 48th Component Maintenance Squadron dock chief. Hall was selected to speak to Roy about the 48th CMS lean cells, which allows Airmen in the propulsion facility to consolidate tools and material, reducing time spent finding them.

"It's one of the best experiences I've had with [an Air Force leader]," Hall said.
Before addressing an audience of Airmen from RAFs Lakenheath and Mildenhall, Roy took a few minutes to speak about his priorities. The most importance of these is resiliency.

"Resiliency is not a new program; resiliency is a culture of taking care of each other," he said. "This is just a carry-on to the wingman concept."

Roy added resiliency is not only living through a difficult situation. "It's also the ability to grow through that situation," he said.

During his Airmen's Call, Roy also spoke about a wide range of other topics, including force shaping, enlisted performance reports, retirement changes and the effects of budgetary changes to the way the Air Force does business.

"We have an opportunity in our Air Force today to pivot the enterprise," he said, citing the propulsion facility as an example of Airmen taking their processes and finding ways to make them better. Furthermore, he noted, Airmen are doing so on their own initiative.

"You don't want that 7,000 mile screwdriver," Roy said. "You're the experts at your given function; you're the ones who are going to help us through this."

Roy concluded by saying the Airmen he met during his first visit to the U.K. are representing the Air Force and U.S. well.

"Every time we passed through the gates at both locations, you can just tell the sense of pride in both wings," Roy said to the combined audience.

"I'm absolutely impressed with the level of professionalism of all our Airmen here."