CMSAF visits Iraq, reflects on first year

SATHER AIR BASE, Baghdad (AFNS) -- The Air Force's top enlisted leader landed here June 28 to spend three days visiting with Airmen and his Iraqi counterpart before departing June 30, which marked his one-year anniversary on the job.

Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Roy came to the area to speak with Airmen and discuss his priorities. He discussed the changing role Airmen have in the Iraqi mission, and the importance they have in building the future of Iraq. In addition, he had an opportunity to speak with Chief Mahmud, the first chief master sergeant of the Iraqi air force.

"One of the key points I wanted to make clear to the Airmen here is that the mission in Iraq is not over," Chief Roy said. "We are still in a war zone and we need to keep that in focus, and remain focused on what we are doing here. Yes, the nature of the mission may be changing, but we can never lose our focus."

The chief mentioned that some Airmen had expressed concerns that the attention has shifted from Iraq.

"If you feel that way, you should congratulate yourself, because that means we have been successful," he said. "The new phase of our mission here is just as important as the kinetic piece, if not more important.

"We have to help the Iraqis be able to sustain themselves," he said.

It is this ability for the Iraqi air force to stand on its own that the chief noted as being an important milestone to entering the next phase of development for the mission here.

"The training mission here in Iraq is from my view an important one," he said. "We are able to take the Iraqis beyond just the fundamentals. We aren't simply training them on how to do a job, but we are training them to train others on how to perform that job. Think of it as training the trainer. This is the real key to being successful here."

The Air Force has provided translated copies of some career field education and training plans to the Iraqis in an effort to help bolster their own in-house training program, Chief Roy said.

"This is something important for our Airmen to understand, that the air forces of other nations view our CFETPs as being very important to the development of their airmen," he said. "What we teach and how we teach it is seen as being very valuable."

In addition to the pride he expressed in seeing Airmen carrying out the mission in Iraq, Chief Roy also talked about another one of his priorities: taking care of Airmen and their families.

"We understand and appreciate that our families endure long deployments, multiple deployments, and this certainly has an effect on our families," he said. "We are interested in how we instill resiliency in our Airmen and their families. Our Airmen need to feel that they have support from the folks back home. We don't want them to worry about issues that may creep up while they are away. "

As part of taking care of Airmen and their families, the chief stressed the important roles that supervisors and first sergeants at the home station play in ensuring families are given assistance, should the need arise.

"Our people here have an important mission to do," he said. "The last thing we want is for them to worry about things back home, such as a hot water heater leaking or an air conditioning unit that goes out. That's why I want to stress the importance of the programs we have in place at their home station to help them take care of issues like that."

Another key point the chief addressed while he was here was Airmen's training and readiness. He spoke of the importance of preparing those who are about to deploy with what they need, and what they need to know.

"It is a very high priority for me to make sure our Airmen are adequately trained and equipped to do the missions here," he said. "It's part of why we've developed combat Airman skills training. It's why we want to make sure they have the equipment they need to perform the jobs that are asked of them."

While the majority of his time was spent talking to Airmen, the chief also had the opportunity to meet with his counterpart in the Iraqi air force.

"I met with Chief Mahmud and I'm very impressed with him and what he brings to the Iraqi air force," Chief Roy said. "The fundamental things we (both) do as senior enlisted leaders is make sure our airmen are prepared for whatever mission. He is doing a great job ensuring his folks are getting the training and equipment they need."

Chief Roy said he had an opportunity to speak directly with the junior-ranking Iraqi airmen and get their views of their first chief master sergeant of the (Iraqi) air force.

He said that overwhelmingly, they were excited about having Chief Mahmud's leadership and expertise.

"Every time I asked his airmen about what they think of him, overwhelmingly a smile came across their faces," Chief Roy said. "They are very, very excited about having the position and knowing what he does for them."

Before Chief Roy boarded his return flight from Baghdad, he had a few moments to reflect on his first year as the 16th chief master sergeant of the Air Force.

"Today is my one-year anniversary in this position, and it's been a very fast-paced year," he said. "It's a proud moment for me, as I reflect back on all of our accomplishments. It seems like it was just yesterday I came into this job. And yet, at the same time, it seems so long ago. I couldn't be prouder to represent our Airmen and their families."