General Schwartz tours Bagram, addresses Airmen's questions

Published Oct. 22, 2008
By Staff Sgt. Rachel Martinez
455th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan -- The 19th Air Force chief of staff, Gen. Norton Schwartz, accompanied by Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Rodney McKinley, made his first official trip to Bagram Air Field Oct. 21.

General Schwartz toured the 455th Expeditionary Mission Support Group to learn more about the growing efforts to support the mission here, and the Craig Joint Theater Hospital to visit staff and injured service members. A prior C-130 pilot, the general also visited the 774th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron and the 41st Expeditionary Electronic Attack Squadron.

Before departing Bagram, General Schwartz hosted an Airman's Call where he shared his vision of the Air Force's role in the war on terrorism.

"What is happening here is profoundly important," he said. "Frankly, what has been over time an economy of force operation here in Afghanistan, is about to change. The main focus of activity in Central Command area of responsibility is going to be right here. What you have done - what your predecessors have done - to establish this location as the engine of certainly Air Force activity and other mission activities in this country on behalf of the United States armed forces, is so very, very important."

"This is about the United States Air Force finding new and better ways to contribute to the fight," he added. "There are obvious ways we do it, and there are less obvious ways. My basic point here is that everyone here is all in. It doesn't matter what discipline you are in, what job you have or what specialty you share -- everybody matters, everybody contributes. We all do our thing because this is a team sport."

The chief of staff also took questions from Airmen in the audience.

"This is the kind of feedback we need to have," he said. "The battlefield is a more complicated place. If there is something we are doing that you consider not value-added, pass that to me."

Questions for General Schwartz ranged from the status of the CSAR-X development to civilianization of jobs to the way we fight. One question concerned pre-deployment training and ensuring the right people received the appropriate training to prepare them for the work they will be doing in theater.

"I would argue to everybody here, our Air Force isn't sitting in Alconbury, and Bentwater, and Ramstein and Mildenhall anymore ready to go fight--we're here, we're in Baghdad," he said. "One hopes we did the right thing preparing them for that role. I would not be doing my job if I did not prepare you to do it, inside or outside the wire. I certainly agree that those folks who have less likelihood of going outside the fence need a different curriculum than those who do."

General Schwartz was also asked about his feelings toward the Airman's Creed.

"What's embedded in the creed is a fundamental notion that we have obligations to one another, to our Air Force teammates, to our other service's teammates, and certainly to the country. These obligations are profound. This is what the creed suggests - that we are a member of a warrior team, all of us have obligations to one another, and we keep our promises. That is what makes us different."

Finally, General Schwartz talked about getting the Air Force back to basics and ensuring the right things are done right.

"For everybody here, this is really about the success of the joint team," he said. "Take satisfaction in knowing that people depend on you for what you do. Make sure the people who depend on us turn out to be our greatest champions. That is the way for all of us to be more successful."