there is nothing more important to the nation than the integrity and the trustworthiness of the people who defend it. r/mark
The question: How can leaders inspire integrity in the US military?
Via General Mark Welsh.
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The US military has revealed that 34 nuclear missile officers are being investigated for their roles in a cheating scandal at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana. Worse, the scandal came to light as the result of an illegal drug investigation of Air Force officers:
Air Force Office of Special Investigations officials were examining allegations of illegal drug possession when evidence surfaced that a missile launch officer at the 341st Missile Wing electronically shared the answers to monthly missile launch officer proficiency tests with 16 other officers. Air Force officials subsequently approached the entire missile crew force at Malmstrom, and 17 other officers admitted to at least being aware of material that had been shared.
USAF Chief of Staff General Mark Welsh indicated it wasn’t just the act of “cheating,” but the failure to act by those who knew the cheating was occurring: Read more
General Mark Welsh just cemented his “rock star” status as Chief of Staff of the US Air Force. Though it took nearly 18 months, General Welsh has finally sent the ban on morale uniform items the way of Blues Monday [emphasis added]:
Morale T-shirts/patches representing individual squadrons that were worn in the past to increase unit pride are now authorized to wear on Fridays. Squadron color T-shirts may be worn with the ABU or flight suit when in-garrison or on-station during unit temporary duty assignments and contingency deployments…
The nuance to the victory here is that in years past, most morale uniform items (colored unit shirts, morale patches, etc.) were unofficial — ie, the regulation didn’t say you couldn’t, so people did — and stretched the limits of the rules as a result. This was then “fixed” by new regulations specifically banning “morale” items. Now, General Welsh has explicitly authorized those same items.
The new AFI even specifically authorizes “tab” patches, which Read more
A few weeks ago Roxanne Jones, by-lined as 2010 Woman of the Year from Women in Sports and Events, wrote an article at CNN with an astonishing perspective on sexuality in the modern era.
First, she notes how she sent her son off to college:
I filled my son’s duffel bag with about 300 condoms and told him watch out for party girls but have fun; meet new people but stay focused on academics…
Parents need to step up. I’m doing my part, raising a son to respect women…
Given the current culture, she feels she may have left out an important message for the modern era [emphasis added]:
Never have sex with a girl unless she’s sent you a text that proves the sexual relationship is consensual beforehand. And Read more
Continuing his theme of respect, Chief of Staff of the US Air Force General Mark Welsh published his latest Airman to Airman video (below), entitled “Dignity and Respect.”
General Welsh makes references to sexual assault and the common ill of ignoring “inappropriate jokes,” as well as saying some people have made the excuse that the “bad behavior is part of our heritage.” Some of those comments appear to be references to the perception of a plague of sexual assault in the military as well as the complaint that brought about the Air Force-wide scrub of offensive material.
Importantly, General Welsh said Read more
Deborah Lee James has been confirmed by the US Senate, which clears the way for her to be sworn in later this month as the newest Secretary of the Air Force.
“On behalf of the more than 690,000 men and women of the U.S. Air Force, I want to welcome Secretary James to our Air Force family,” Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh said in a Dec. 13 statement. “I’m confident that she’ll lead us with the same vision and passion she’s shown throughout her public service and private sector leadership, building on the extraordinary accomplishments of our Acting Secretary Eric Fanning, who has magnificently led our Air Force these last few months.”
Acting Secretary Eric Fanning has been filling in since Secretary Donley retired in June.
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President Obama has nominated BGen Chris Burne to be the next The JAG of the Air Force (TJAG):
Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel announced today that the president has made the following nominations:
Air Force Brig. Gen. Christopher F. Burne has been nominated for appointment to the rank of lieutenant general and for assignment as the judge advocate general, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Pentagon, Washington, D.C. Burne is currently serving as the staff judge advocate, Headquarters Air Combat Command, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va.
Like the retiring LtGen Richard Harding, whom he will replace, BrigGen Burne will skip his second star and go directly to his third.
General Harding is one of the last senior officers from the tenure of former Chief of Staff General Norton Schwartz — and one of the last to have a long running, if tenuous, relationship with military religious freedom critic Michael “Mikey” Weinstein. (General Read more
Air Force Chief of Staff General Mark Welsh previously told Airmen to stop following guidance that was “stupid.”
“If it doesn’t make common sense, if it doesn’t make the mission better, if it doesn’t take better care of our people, then just don’t do it and tell your boss you’re done.”
Notably, his message was to Air Force leaders, explicitly telling them their people “don’t feel empowered” even to do what seems smart.
General Welsh recently hammered the point again, this time making the parental statement that Airmen should use “common sense:”
Common sense would dictate that if Airmen run across something in their duties that doesn’t make sense, then they should suggest better ways to do them, Welsh said…”If it doesn’t match common sense then I don’t care what it says in the AFI, let’s talk about it.”
There is enough to do, the general said, without Read more