18th Air Force commander's intent letter
Scott Air Force Base, Ill. -- Airmen of the finest Numbered Air Force: thank you! In an environment of great uncertainty and challenge, you continue to embody excellence through your bold, innovative leadership. In the minds of our senior leaders and mission partners, you are essential to the success of our Nation and I am very proud of you!
Speed, Safety, and Success
While the Air Force of the 21st century is far different from that of 1958, when the 18th Air Force was inactivated after only seven years of existence, our emblem, with three parachutes representing "speed", "safety", and "success", remains a link to our distinguished past.
That past, built on a legacy of bold Airmen committed to excellence, lives on in our people and values. It lives in our first commander, Col. Earl Young, who recently celebrated his 100th birthday in a cockpit. He said it best when he observed, "the one thing that has never changed has been our leaders and our Airmen. We've always had the best." I agree.
Our legacy of excellence lives on in our most junior Airmen, many of whom I have had the privilege of meeting during my travels throughout our enterprise. They are the ones who question the way "we've always done things" and encourage us to take intelligent risks that get the mission done in smarter ways than ever before. And we have to be smarter!
A Bridge to Tomorrow
In this second year as your commander, my intent is simple: I need you to help me build a bridge to a better Air Force.
We face of multitude of challenges today: sequestration, furloughs, shrinking budgets, the crime of sexual assault, safety mishaps, and the unexpected events, both natural and manmade, that drive a call from our Nation which can only be answered by Mobility Airmen. In the face of all of this, it is easy to become overwhelmed, even discouraged.
But I am not. In fact, I have never been more hopeful!
I believe to my core that our Airmen make up the most talented, knowledgeable, and operationally-ready Air Force we've had in our history. Even though today's Air Force is 40% the size of the 1958 Air Force, we provide our Nation with a more robust capability than it has ever had before. The things we've learned over the past decade and more of war will shape the Air Force we have going forward. All that is required is for you to take that knowledge and apply it.
My Expectations
Think big! Our Air Force is too small to think small. Consider how your ideas and innovations can impact our larger enterprise. Continue to help us identify and do away with those things that do not add value to the mission. New, fresh thought will help us determine the mission-required tasks, matching our work to shrinking budgets. I will never ask you to do more with less.
Care for and lead our Airmen! It is not aircraft, or money, or infrastructure that makes our Air Force strong. It is Airmen. And as Col. Young noted, for the 18th Air Force it has always been the case. I expect you to be the best technician you can be in your field, but more importantly, I expect you to lead! Your leadership will help us strengthen our culture of excellence and respect.
Be proud! This year we celebrate the 10th anniversary of the reactivation of the 18th Air Force. I encourage you to learn about our past and the legacy of excellence we have inherited. But more than that, I expect you to create the even greater legacy we will leave to our successors.
Finally, I thank you and your families for your service and for all you do (and will continue to do) for our Air Force and for America. Be safe, be proud, and be the best that you can be. Our country deserves no less.
Expedite!