Command chiefs address Airmen’s concerns

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Melanie Streeter
  • Air Force Print News
WASHINGTON --  The chief master sergeant of the Air Force joined command chief master sergeants from Air Force major commands at a forum during the Air Force Association’s 2004 Air and Space Conference and Technology Exposition here Sept. 13.

“As I travel around the Air Force, I (stress) that one of the most important parts of our jobs as senior enlisted leaders is communication,” said Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Gerald R. Murray.

That communication was the focus of the command chiefs’ forum, where the audience had an opportunity to ask questions and get answers from today’s enlisted leaders.

One hot topic was force reshaping, with audience members wondering whether shrinking forces would result in the same difficulties faced after the drawdown in the early ‘90s.

“You know, right now we are over-strength, and retention is great,” said Chief Master Sgt. Karl Meyers from Air Education and Training Command. “Obviously, we need to make cuts. AETC is taking on one part of that to reduce the force without doing it the way we did in the ‘90s.”

This AETC role mainly focuses on enlisting fewer new Airmen in the next year. Chief Meyers said only some career fields will see new recruits this year, with others having to wait until ideal numbers are reached across the board.

To make sure problems do not exist in the long term for those career fields that have to wait out the year, AETC and Air Force Personnel Center officials will watch retainment trends at the three- and five-year marks, the usual timeframe for re-enlistment.

Another training-related question revealed concerns about Airmen’s role in the war on terror. As more and more Airmen see combat up close and personal, the Air Force is finding ways to prepare them for it.

“Our Air Force has transformed as this war takes a deeper and deeper toll on our forces,” said Chief Master Sgt. Gary Coleman from U.S. Air Forces in Europe. “Our sister services are running out of personnel, and we’re stepping in to fill those spots.”

Because equipping and training Airmen to carry out the mission is important, Chief Coleman said it is a tough call to decide where training resources should be spent. The Air Force needs to be careful to strike a balance, and just where that balance is depends on what new roles and missions the Air Force takes on.

Air Mobility Command Chief Master Sgt. Michael Kerver said his command is taking on this training challenge with a program called Eagle Flag.

Eagle Flag prepares support Airmen to do their jobs in a deployed environment.

“It used to be [that] unless you were a cop or [were] civil engineer or services Airmen, you got next to no training in the expeditionary environment,” Chief Kerver said.

The command’s goal is to have all Airmen attend Eagle Flag during their air and space expeditionary force training cycle.