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CSAF: Precision, reliability key to Airmen keeping the promise

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Veronica McMahon and Tech. Sgt. Chyenne Adams
  • 325th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  The Air Force's 19th Chief of Staff capped off a one-day visit to Tyndall Air Force Base Sep. 3 with a special Airman's Call for a sample group of Airmen from various squadrons, career fields and ranks. 

Approximately 500 base personnel gathered in a hangar on Tyndall's flightline to listen to Gen. Norton Schwartz speak. 

The new chief of staff began by asking for every member present to recommit themselves to excellence and compliance to standards. 

"If you and I commit ourselves to precision performance, everything else will fall into place," said the Air Force's top officer. "It doesn't matter what job you perform or what rank you are, everyone counts in this Air Force family." 

General Schwartz went on to say everyone is responsible for their individual performance and that of their team. He also touched on his personal tenets of precision, reliability, focus and taking care of one another. 

"If we continue to concentrate on these things, we are going to achieve a level of excellence we haven't yet achieved," General Schwartz said. 

Numerous Airmen from the crowd addressed the chief of staff with a wide variety of questions. Topics touched on subjects such as maintenance, base housing, enlisted pilots, military-to-civilian conversions and future roles of the F-22 Raptor. 

Concerning the possible integration of aircraft maintenance and operational flying squadrons, General Schwartz said a collective decision has been made to not integrate. This will help ensure that in years to come, sophisticated cadres of weapons maintainers are focused on maintaining weapons systems, he said. 

"This is not to say that a partnership is not integral to success. There should be a visceral friendship between crew chiefs and their aviators," he said. "Maintenance is not a part-time business, and full-time attention is needed for the long haul to sustain our rigorous standards." 

Another Airman asked the general about the possibility of allowing enlisted aviators to operate the Air Force's unmanned aerial vehicle fleet. General Schwartz said he expects a final decision by the end of the year. When asked about the F-22's role in future Air Force operations, the chief of staff reiterated the importance of the fighter's role as a weapons system of deterrence. 

The general also shared his professional and personal beliefs with the crowd when the subject of the Global War on Terror was brought up. 

"I fundamentally believe that we cannot just sit back and play defense in this war," he said. "We need to be out there taking the fight to (our adversaries) to ensure that the events of 9/11 never happen again." 

The CSAF closed the Airman's Call by asking everyone present to walk away remembering two words: precision and reliability. 

"We have promises to keep to ourselves, to our joint teammates, and to our country," he said. "If we incorporate precision and reliability into all we do, then we will maintain this marvelous military force."