At the 2014 Air Force Association’s Air Warfare Symposium, Chief of Staff of the Air Force General Mark Welsh decided the Air Force should have an “all-in,” MAJCOM vs MAJCOM official Mustache March.  With a nod to the MAJCOM commanders in the front row of his audience, Gen Welsh said

In just a few days, its March. Now, I don’t know, but I don’t think we’ve ever had an all-in Mustache March, have we? So I’m putting the smackdown on you guys: Air Force-wide Mustache March. MAJCOM competitions. [Laughter] You identify your winners, we’ll check the imagery to make sure nothings been doctored. We’ll find our Air Force winner and I’ll figure out a way to honor…him.

At that point, Gen Welsh seemed to become aware that he had to say “him.” 

I’m assuming a “him.” [Laughter]

Now there will be women who think that they’re being left out of this but that’s not the case. Because those of us that have done this before know that the women in our Air Force have a critical role to play during Mustache March. Because their job is to ridicule us nonstop about the idiotic look that these mustaches will have on most of us, as we try to look like Tom Selleck and really look like a three-haired mole.

So. Fight’s on.

As has been noted here before, Mustache March is a fighter pilot tradition (with its own website) sometimes legendarily attached to BGen Robin Olds (who, tradition has it, bore the mustache as a mark of rebellion). It would seem Gen Welsh — who strongly supports Air Force heritage — would like to see it as an Air Force-wide tradition.

You heard the man. Fights on.

Gen Welsh’s speech can be heard here.  With reference to the Air Force Times Flightlines.  Later repeated at the Stars and Stripes.

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