Active duty, retired Air Force leaders gather

  • Published
  • By Major Curt Velasquez
  • Headquarters Air Force
BOLLING AIR FORCE BASE, D.C. (AFPN) --  Air Force leaders met with retired senior Air Force leaders at Bolling Air Force Base, D.C., this past week to discuss important issues facing the Air Force.

"The Air Force is at a critical moment in history," Secretary of the Air Force Michael W. Wynne said. "Our nation needs to be proud of our Airmen as they have answered the calling to winning today's fight. They exemplify every aspect of excellence, integrity and service before self."

The purpose of the forum and the symposium was to inform and gain insight from retired Air Force senior leaders as the Air Force prepares for tomorrow's challenges. Secretary Wynne discussed the need to replace aging aircraft and preserve the industrial base for the future of the Air Force.

"We are a service that has been at war for more than 17 years," said Secretary Wynne. "We cannot be focused only on today's fight because the Constitution calls for the common defense of our nation and that includes preparing for tomorrow."

"We are a strategic combatant service whose job is to deter and dissuade tomorrow's fight," said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley. "We cannot wait until tomorrow to think about tomorrow."

General Moseley then discussed his Air Force priorities and top five acquisition priorities.

"The soul of an air force is range, payload and access to targets, and our acquisition priorities will keep us on a proper vector," said General Moseley. "We need to be unapologetic about advocating airpower in 21st Century warfare."

The Leadership Forum and Senior Statesmen Symposium are held once a year and the secretary of the Air Force, the chief of staff and senior Air Force civilian and military leaders come together with more than 240 retired senior Air Force leaders for frank, open discussions that will lead the Air Force into tomorrow.

Gen. Duncan McNabb, vice chief of staff, talked about the critical issues facing the Air Force and the need to prepare for tomorrow's challenges in order to put the service on the proper flight path toward a 21st Century Air Force.

"We are at the perfect storm," General McNabb said. "We need to recapitalize the force, fight the long war while the baby boomers are approaching retirement age. The service that takes advantage of the solid foundation it has built to prepare for the future will navigate successfully through this storm. The Air Force has set the stage to allow its Airmen to tackle those challenges. Our nation's freedom depends upon our success."

Discussions and briefings centered on the three themes: Winning Today's Fight, Taking Care of Our People and Preparing for Tomorrow's Challenges.

"The tenets of Global Vigilance, Global Reach and Global Power will continue to shape the future of the Air Force as they execute today's joint fight in order to ensure dominance in air, space and cyberspace," said Maj. Gen. Bill Chambers, director of communications. "The Air Force is uniquely positioned with these tenets that allow the rest of the joint force to maneuver unimpeded throughout the battlespace."

Taking care and developing Airmen is a top priority for Air Force leaders.

"The number one issue facing our enlisted force today is high quality and affordable child care," said Lt. Gen. Dick Newton, director of manpower and personnel. "Taking care of our Airmen and their families is a retention and readiness issue."

The future strategic global environment will be more complex, dynamic and lethal than it has been in the past and Air Force leaders provide the joint team with prompt, decisive and persistent air, space and cyberspace effects that are capable of meeting tomorrow's challenges. 

"It is more important than ever that we inform members of Congress about what the Air Force brings to today's fight and the critical role it plays in defending our nation from those who would challenge us in the future," said Maj. Gen. Herbert J. Carlisle, director of legislative liaison  

General Moseley concluded the conference by saying, "The U.S. Air Force is charged with safeguarding America by dominating the ultimate vantage of air, space and cyberspace. These domains are increasingly interdependent and the loss of dominance in one could lead to the loss of dominance in all. Therefore, superiority and freedom of action cannot be taken for granted. The Air Force must be better postured to contend with both today and tomorrow's challenges." 

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