CMSAF discusses future at enlisted call

  • Published
  • By Michael Briggs
  • 12th Flying Training Wing Public Affairs
RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFPN) --  It was fitting Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Gerald Murray wore the Air Force utility uniform of tomorrow when addressing about 700 Airmen at an enlisted call here.

Most of what the chief talked about at the base theater Dec. 6 focused on the future. That was also the purpose of his visit to the Air Force Personnel Center this week.

Chief Murray discussed Airmen assignments. He said the Air Force is getting “the right Airmen in the right place at the right time-- while continuing to manage our most precious resource: you, our people.”

He also discussed how the Air Force can continue to develop Airmen to their fullest potential through the different stages of their careers, and how to tie developmental assignments to those leadership levels in the future.

“As we look to the future, we want to make sure we have an Air Force that is giving you the opportunities as individual Airmen to realize your potential and, more importantly, how you as Airmen can increase the capabilities of this force,” he said.

He said the goal for force development is to determine how to best use the talents, skills, education and experience of Airmen in their contributions to the overall mission.

Tying future assignments and force development together follows changes in Air Force Instruction 36-2618, The Enlisted Force Structure, revised about a year ago. Tactical, operational and strategic leadership and developmental levels were included in the revision.

The instruction also provides more detail about noncommissioned officer and senior NCO responsibilities, describes special senior NCO positions and covers standardized duty titles.

Asked about enlisted force development, Chief Murray encouraged all Airmen to become familiar with the revised instruction.

“It’s the foundation of our enlisted force development,” he said. “And (it) has been since it was written in 1972 as the old (regulation) 39-6.”

He said the future of force development must include every aspect of an enlisted person’s career in a continuum that follows an Airman through basic training, technical training, professional military education, on-the-job training, career development courses, promotions and assignments, while tying those things to tactical, operational and strategic levels of leadership at appropriate times.

The Air Force has taken steps in this regard by revising basic training and developing professional military education for chief master sergeants, for example. Chief Murray said other initiatives under study will follow, such as perhaps providing more frequent PME during a person’s career.

Another aspect of the force development cycle still being looked at is how assignments will be tied to the process. The chief said career field managers have been asked to study the assignments within their specialties to determine which ones might be considered “developmental” and at what stage of a career a person should perform those duties.

Of the prototype utility uniform he wore, the chief said the Air Force is close to finishing a three-year process that determined the best pattern, material, fit and function of the uniform. It will replace the woodland battle dress uniform most Airmen wear as their home station utility uniform.

Chief Murray said the gray, slate blue, tan and brown-patterned prototype he was wearing had ousted the mainly blue prototype first wear-tested about two years ago. The audience reacted favorably to that news.

Many women in the crowd cheered loudly when he said the new uniform would be manufactured in both male and female cuts.

“It truly is permanent-press and wash-and-wear,” Chief Murray said. “It needs no ironing whatsoever.”

He said the new boots are fuel and stain-resistant and can be cleaned and maintained with a simple brushing.

“We want you to be able to spend less time on your uniform,” he said. “We want you to have a good-looking utility uniform that fits you well, is easy to maintain and costs you less money to maintain. I think that’s what you’re going to have.”

He said small utility pockets may be added to a lower leg and wrist area of a sleeve as final design adjustments based on feedback from wear tests. And he said the uniform may be manufactured for wear in late 2006 or early 2007.