Goldfein hosts first town hall with CMSAF

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Hailey Haux
  • Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs Command Information
MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. (AFNS) --  The Air Force’s top officer and enlisted leader hosted a town hall forum in the Boyd Auditorium here July 20.

During the 70-minute forum, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein and Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Cody answered several questions from the crowd and addressed their key concerns.

“What I have found over my career is, to have staying power, you have to spend time listening,” Goldfein said. “So, for Chief Cody and I, this is actually about squinting with our ears and actually listening to what’s on your mind and giving you straight talk.”

One concern weighing on many Airmen’s minds was the recent Senate proposal to overhaul basic allowance for housing.

“We don’t think it’s a good idea,” Cody said. “There has been a lot of effort by all of our senior leadership to go (to Congress) and have conversations with senators on this.”

A range of questions were asked on various aspects of the Air Force, from leadership and command and control, to on-base housing and warfighting.

One question allowed Goldfein to state his vision for the Air Force.

“I look at the global landscape and the building of joint task forces that operate trans-regionally across geographic combatant commands … what I see is an Air Force that is equally capable of supporting or being supported in the business of joint-combined arms warfare in the future,” Goldfein said.

Concluding the town hall, Goldfein left the audience with one final thought.

“Our charter as Airmen is to take the greatest treasure in our nation’s arsenal, which is the young men and women who choose to serve and put on this uniform, and we mold, train and develop them,” Goldfein said. “And through our domain through air and space, we make the world a better place for our kids -- that’s our call and that’s why we serve.”