GOODFELLOW AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Kaleth O. Wright visited Goodfellow August 2, 2019, to experience the training environment and see up close how it impacts the Air Force mission and supports the National Defense Strategy.
The visit was part of a multi-base tour in which Chief Wright met with base leaders and Airmen to discuss issues impacting the force.
“What I saw today was a lot of cognition, a lot of thinking, a lot of teaching Airmen how to think through problems and think about the future, because that’s what it’s going to require,” said Chief Wright. “What you guys are doing here at Goodfellow is a perfect example of building a generation of thinkers that will go on to lead this great Air Force one day.”
Goodfellow has a unique mission training joint force fire protection and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance professionals. Chief Wright had the opportunity to witness that training and highlight the importance of the mission for the Air Force as a whole.
“The specialties that you train here are critically important to all of our core missions,” he said.
Chief Wright remarked on the innovative and forward-thinking approach spearheaded by the training facilities here, and how they are developing better Airmen.
“The techniques that you’re using go well beyond when me and my peers came up, and they’re just going to turn out phenomenal thinking Airmen on the other end.”
In addition to mission focus, Chief Wright spent time with the Airmen to discuss quality of life and give insights on personal development.
Airman 1st Class Christian Vera, 17th Comptroller Squadron budget analyst, attended breakfast with the chief and pointed out several takeaways from the meeting.
“He told us about a phrase he goes by called CADET, which stands for character, attitude, discipline, excellence and teamwork,” said Vera. “He also talked about building good habits now, because the older we get it becomes harder to do.”
Chief Wright also made his strong stance on resilience clear, emphasizing the importance of peers and leadership looking out for fellow Airmen.
“You can get a great foundation from BMT and technical training, but I would say a greater part of the responsibility for building resilient Airmen belongs to the first line supervisor,” he said. “Seeking mental health is only one part of our resilience strategy. Not all Airmen are at the point where they need professional or clinical help, sometimes Airmen just need to know that you actually care about them.”
In the end, Chief Wright concluded by saying he tries not to focus on fleeting policy changes, but would rather be remembered as a leader who was approachable, helpful, and did his best to care for the Airmen during his time.