Warfighting is about relationship building as the Air Force moves forward in the 21st century, especially in the Pacific where bilateral exercises are taking on increasing importance. That was one of the messages from the secretary of the Air Force as he addressed a crowd of about a thousand Airmen and Sailors March 25.

Secretary of the Air Force Michael W. Wynne’s visit was part of a trip through the region that featured stops at six other Pacific Air Forces bases.

The secretary told the audience that they "are not just American servicemen and women; you are diplomats. You interact with a foreign culture every day. We love to interact with diverse cultures; we embrace it.”

Secretary Wynne said host nations “appreciate our confidence. It’s a confidence that comes with being a free people -- and being a free people long enough that we are extraordinarily recognizable no matter where we go.”

Though being ambassadors is an important role for Airmen worldwide, remaining battle-ready is the top priority, the secretary said.

“We keep our edge so that our unfriendly neighbors recognize this is not something they want to tangle with,” he said, gesturing to an F-16 Fighting Falcon on display in the hangar.

The secretary also talked about Air Force Smart Operations 21, or AFSO 21. This is a way Airmen can continue to take a look at how they can be more innovative, how they can remove barriers to better performance and bring efficiencies into their operations, he said.

After his speech, Secretary Wynne answered questions from the audience.

Staff Sgt. Lisa Fair, from the 35th Security Forces Squadron, asked about deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. She asked if the length of future deployments would increase to the one-year tours Soldiers serve in the region.

Secretary Wynne said the Air Force has no intention of lengthening these deployments.

“We want to make sure our security forces personnel have access to the right kind of military training. It is up to the local field commanders to determine how many troops they need in the field, so I will leave it to them to ask us to fill their needs,” he said.

After talking with Misawa Airmen en masse, Secretary Wynne visited some workcenters, meeting with maintainers and pilots. He also sat down with community leaders, including the Misawa mayor and local leaders of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force.

“Japan is the number two economic power in the world and will be dominant for years and years to come,” the secretary said. The U.S. Air Force continues to contribute dramatically to the peace and prosperity in this part of the world, he said.