SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. –
The Air Force's top enlisted leader emphasized the importance of each Airman's contributions, as well as their responsibilities in the development of their Airmen and their own careers during an enlisted call at Scott Air Force Base, Ill., on Jan. 18.
Echoing the sentiments of the three Air Force priorities, Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Rodney J. McKinley related each of the key ideas to the audience:
Win the War on Terrorism
"This is something that is very, very real," Chief McKinley said of the ongoing war. "If the terrorists on 9/11 could have killed 30,000, or even 30 million, they would have. And they wouldn't have even blinked an eye."
After stressing the seriousness of the event, he addressed the importance of each Airman's involvement in the fight -- stateside or deployed.
Everyone who raised their hand and said the oath has a responsibility to their duty, and that shouldn't be taken lightly, the chief explained.
Many Airmen stateside are taking that responsibility to heart, he said, as evidenced by the more than 50,000 Operation Noble Eagle missions flown in support of Homeland Defense.
Develop & Take Care of Our Airmen
Another point of emphasis was the role of supervisors in the growth of new Airmen. He outlined the long and sometimes difficult process of recruiting Airmen and sending them through basic training and on to technical school, instilling the Air Force core values along the way.
Starting with proper sponsorship, supervisors need to make sure that they are doing everything they can to help their Airmen succeed, he said.
Upcoming changes to professional military education will also aid in this growth. According to the chief, basic military training will soon lengthen to eight-and-a-half weeks from the current six-and-a-half weeks.
Another project the Air Force is working on is to try and close the gap between Airman Leadership School and the NCO Academy. Currently, average attendance for ALS rests at four years, while the average Airman doesn't attend the NCOA until around 14 years.
His goal is to lower the average to 11 years.
Senior NCOs may soon see some changes to their schooling as well. Currently, attendance at the SNCO Academy is not required until the servicemember is preparing to be promoted to chief master sergeant.
Outside educational opportunities are also booming, and the number of servicemembers taking advantage of these changes is growing daily. This is evidenced by the unprecedented number of graduates of the Community College of the Air Force -- reaching several thousand since just October.
Further helping Airmen reach their educational goals is the recently formed Air University Associate to Baccalaureate Cooperative Program, which consists of 25 schools fully online that have agreed to accept 100 percent of CCAF transfer credits for application to a bachelor's degree. Several thousand Airmen are already signed up for this program, he said.
Other topics of note relating to developing and caring for Airmen included improved childcare, taking care of the wounded and authorizing Purple Hearts to those who have been wounded in combat but have no readily apparent external injuries.
Modernization and Recapitalization of Aircraft and Equipment
A quick poll of the audience showed that only one person out of about 500 Airmen in attendance drove a vehicle to work every day that was more than 25 years old.
"Every day we fly missions in aircraft that are even older than that, and we do it in combat," the chief said of the Air Force's aging aircraft fleet.
He praised the efforts and abilities of the Airmen maintaining these aircraft and flying these missions, but related that most parents wouldn't let their children drive cars that old, yet the Air Force flies these planes on a daily basis.
He expressed the need for a new tanker platform to replace the 50-year-old KC-135 Stratotanker, as well as a fifth generation fighter, to remain ahead of other countries' developments.
Another platform the Air Force is trying to renew is the current search and rescue aircraft.
While not regarded by most as equipment, the new Air Force service dress modifications also were high on the discussion list. Another poll of the audience showed that not many people were in favor of the addition of the belt on the heritage-style uniform, which is scheduled to make its debut in April or May.
The chief promised every Airman a voice regarding these changes in the first uniform board since 2005, which will be held electronically.