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AF personnel chief updates Airmen on road ahead

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Christian Michael
  • 379th Air Expeditionary Wing
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  Lieutenant General Darrell Jones, deputy chief of staff for manpower, personnel and services, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, visited deployed troops at an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia, Jan. 8. Jones spoke to a theater full of deployed Airmen on topics such as the congressional and Air Force budgets, services to Airmen, educational benefits, the future of the commander support staff, ancillary training, cutting forces and sexual assault.

"We have absorbed bigger drawdowns and bigger reductions over the years than you're seeing right now," Jones said about sequestration and military cutbacks, "and the Air Force has still come out really strong on the other end. These are challenges we can manage."

He described how the Air Force changed its approach from simply cutting numbers off the top, to a systematic approach.

"We are in a measured, specific approach in how we do things in the Air Force, now," said Jones, who detailed to Airmen how the drawdown had so far progressed and details on how leadership would approach further cuts.

Jones also discussed how the Air Force was looking to refocus available services to Airmen, both to ensure needed services remain available and to save money by removing those used little or none at all. He also addressed the review of standing educational benefits like tuition assistance and questions leadership were addressing in determining how to save money while keeping its original purpose of helping young Airmen gain advanced education.

Also on the docket was the retooling of command support staffs, who have suffered a 52 percent cut in recent years, something the general attributed to a lack of clear ownership.

"When you cut half the people who do a job and increase the number of places they need to be, it doesn't work very well," said Jones. "But we're in the middle of reconstituting the commander support staffs."

Jones addressed the spirit of ancillary training, employed best by one leader speaking to the collective unit in person, and how computer-based training was to be a backup, not as a normal method of meeting those annual requirements. He also said they were exploring options of yearly testing out of previously trained materials to verify the knowledge, while cutting down on overall time spent adhering to standards.

The general touched on several other topics during his presentation, including the retirement system, the promotion system and officer cross-training. After answering questions, Jones wrapped up with some personal words for the Airmen.

"We really appreciate what you all are doing deployed forward," Jones said. "We certainly appreciate your commitment and sacrifice. We understand the hardship you're going through being away from your family, being away from your children and what you do for us every day. Thank you very much. We couldn't be more proud of each one of you and what you do for us every day."