CSAF addresses Air Force top enlisted leaders

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Jason Lake and Scott Knuteson
  • Air University Public Affairs
MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. (AFPN) --  "We have to adapt to today's fight, but prepare for the fight of tomorrow," the Air Force chief of staff told more than 300 of the Air Force's top enlisted Airmen during the 2008 Senior Enlisted Leader Summit at Maxwell Air Force Base's Gunter Annex May 21. 

Gen. T. Michael Moseley spoke with chief master sergeants from key positions around the globe about the challenges of today's Air Force and the importance of its evolution for the 21st century. 

The 36-year Air Force veteran said as the world continuously grows more complex on an economic, political and technological scale, the role of the Air Force to maintain air, space and cyberspace dominance remains paramount. 

"We need to understand that the future is a complicated and dangerous place," he said. "If we don't dominate the airspace, no friendly force movement occurs on the surface: no ship movement or ground force movement... nothing. Air dominance was job number one in 1918... 1944... all the way through Southeast Asia and continues today." 

General Moseley pointed out the importance of Air Force modernization and recapitalization by explaining how some of today's cell phones have more computing capability than NORAD's early air defense computers. Some of the Air Force's current aircraft were built in the same era as those computers. 

"We have to be able to deal with the rapid change of technology and militarization of it," he added. "I can't imagine taking the Air Force through the 21st century with 80-year-old airplanes," he said referring to plans of keeping legacy airframes such as the B-52 Stratofortress in the Air Force inventory until 2030. "We have the oldest inventory in Air Force history. We can't operate old aircraft indefinitely." 

While direct conflict with the modernizing military forces around the globe may be unlikely, General Moseley said there is a higher possibility of conflict with non-state enemies who use their equipment. 

Just as technology continues to evolve, General Moseley said Airmen must stay poised to engage today's evolving enemy. He said Airmen need to be organized, trained and equipped to engage enemies from either hostile nations or rogue organizations operating without territorial boundaries. 

"The goal is to have a 100 percent deployable Air Force," he said. "We're an expeditionary Air Force that fights our country's wars on the enemy's two yard line, not our own two yard line." 

General Moseley encouraged the chiefs to promote innovative ways for units to accomplish their missions and share lessons learned out in the field. 

"We can change the game just like Billy Mitchell did in 1921," he said, referring to the controversial, but revolutionary aerial bombing tests on ships by the Air Force's "forefather," Lt. Gen. Billy Mitchell. 

General Moseley praised Air University's Officer Training School innovation for merging active duty, Air National Guard and Reserve officer training into a standardized Total Force commissioning program. 

"Everything we do is Total Force," he said. 

The chief of staff also answered questions from chiefs about career field mergers, the importance of sharing the Air Force story with the American people and the status of Army in-lieu-of taskings. 

"Having the chief of staff speak to our top enlisted leaders has been a summit highlight," said Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Rodney J. McKinley. "His vision, analysis and explanation of strategic level doctrine and focus on airpower history will resonate with these leaders and throughout our Air Force for years," he said. 

The 2008 Senior Enlisted Leader Summit is an annual gathering between the Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force and senior enlisted leaders serving as command chief master sergeants, career field managers, professional military education commandants and other key positions representing the Total Force. The first summit was held here last year. 

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