The New CSAF's Challenge

Bullet

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Today, I watched our new Chief of Staff take the command of this great and proud organization we call the US Air Force. The stick is now in his hands, I wish him only the best. He has a significant challenge ahead of him, a challenge that the men and women of the Air Force hope he is able to overcome.

A recent article in Forbes sums up this challenge pretty well:

New Air Force Chief Must Reverse Downward Spiral


I have met and discused a few issues with Mr. Thompson before. While I don't agree with everything he espouses in regards to the AF, I have to give him his due here. A good summary of what is a very real issue within our Air Force, the errosion of service's credibility. My sincere prayer Gen Welsh is up for this challenge.

Good Luck, Sir! Our AF is counting on you! :thumb:
 
The B-52?

If the Air Force was in the same situation as the Coast Guard the discussion wouldn't be replacing B-52s still in the fleet.... the discussion would be replacing B-17s.
 
An encouraging start to his tenure

Sent out a couple of hours after he took over. Gen Welsh is very well known for his superb communication skills; this e-mail is a fine example of that.

Off to a very good start, hope he keeps it up!


------
To the Airmen of the United States Air Force



Earlier today, I was sworn in as the 20th Chief of Staff of our Air Force. It was a pretty humbling experience. Since I haven’t met most of you, I thought my first move as CSAF should be to say hi. You’ll probably get tired of hearing me say that “every Airman has a story,” but it’s true, and I’m no different.



My story starts with family. My dad, who was the greatest patriot, officer, and leader I’ve ever known, taught me that no rank or title would ever be as important as the unit patch I wore. Today, I wear the Air Force patch, and my family has grown to 690,000 active, Guard, Reserve, and civilian Airmen, all serving as part of an unbeatable Joint team.



YOU are what makes our Air Force the best the world has ever known!



Thank you for your service, your sacrifice, your dedication and commitment. Most of all, thank you for the privilege of serving beside you and your families. Betty and I are so honored to represent you and will do everything in our power to do it in a way that makes you proud.



From Tooey Spaatz’s drive and vision in 1947, to General Norty Schwartz’s steady hand and thoughtful leadership over the past four years, our Air Force has benefited from strong Chiefs of Staff throughout its rich heritage. I wish I could tell you I bring the same IQ and talent level to the job as they did, but that would be a stretch. So I just promise you I’ll do my very best, every day, every task…just like you do.



You need to know that I care about each of you, your mission, your training, your equipment, your professional development, your career, and your family. My job is to prove it to you.



I’ll get back to you after I’ve had a chance to sit down with Secretary Donley and benefit from his wise counsel. I’ll let you know what my focus areas will be and where I think we’re headed. In the meantime, you take care of the “Fly, Fight, and Win” part…and I’ll ensure that “Integrity, Service, and Excellence” aren’t just buzz words I use in speeches.


MARK A. WELSH, III
General, USAF
20th Chief of Staff
 
Do you think he wrote it or his press secretary? It's refreshing when you hear about an executive writing his/her own communications, but it's rare.
 
Do you think he wrote it or his press secretary? It's refreshing when you hear about an executive writing his/her own communications, but it's rare.

Did Gen Welsh get on his Crackberry immediately after his Change of Command and type out a personal memo to the entire AF? I doubt it. Probably something he's been working on for a few weeks now, wanting to provide everyone wearing an AF name tape today a first impression of him. (The first message from CSAF he replaced was an official memo tellng everyone to wear Blues on Mondays; just a tad different first impression for him)

Now did Gen Welsh write this himself, of did some low-paid underling? Again, we just don't know; it being the very first thing he's sent out, he may have wanted to make this truly his own. Or not. But I GUARANTEE if he didn't, he sat down with his press secretary and dictated to them his themes, style, and overall message he wanted to get out. He may have let the underlings make sure it was spell-checked and formatted correctly, but they were told what to type and how.

Having the Public Affairs officer simply forward a message on the leadership's behalf without their hands all over it is pretty rarer...
 
Now did Gen Welsh write this himself, of did some low-paid underling? Having the Public Affairs officer simply forward a message on the leadership's behalf without their hands all over it is pretty rarer...

Often a press secretary underling for a 4-star is an O-5 or O-6. I'm hoping the federal government isn't at the level that a 6 figure salary is considered "low paying".

Generally the way it works.... a flag's staff, generally a press sec for a service chief, writes the message and the flag signs off. Sometimes that flag's counsel will review. Sometimes the flag will add some things that make it more authentic.

Yes, I agree a t PA shop didn't just shoot off the message, but I doubt (although I could be easily wrong) that the general sat down and did this himself. He's got bigger fish to fry!

But then again, sometimes you get a leader who will insist to write certain things on his/her own.
 
Having had the pleasure, albeit brief, of meeting and speaking with General Welsh in the past when he was at USAFA...

I wouldn't doubt for a second that he wrote that.

That's just the way the man is.

Steve
USAFA ALO
USAFA '83
 
Emails like that are one of those largely meaningless gestures Generals make. Most people who received it likely deleted it before even reading it. A generalized email with a bunch of glad-handing General-speak isn't worth much, but he sort of has to send those things.
 
Emails like that are one of those largely meaningless gestures Generals make. Most people who received it likely deleted it before even reading it. A generalized email with a bunch of glad-handing General-speak isn't worth much, but he sort of has to send those things.

And yet every guy and gal in an AF uniform I talked to today, and every other internet forum that generally gathers AF-types, both active and retired, has commented on this exact e-mail with nearly universal praise for his message. Granted, a few "words are cheap, we'll see in a few months" from the cynics out there, but for the vast majority of those associated with the AF, it was viewed by the vast majority, very much talked about, and very well received.

I've talked before in another thread that the AF has been in a dangerous downward spiral for nearly a decade now. Something most in the AF readily acknowledge. Almost everyone I talked to over the weekend and today saw some encouragement in Welsh's first official communique as CSAF and acknowledge it's a good start.

Long way to go to that goal line, though. Again, I wish him the best getting there.....
 
And yet every guy and gal in an AF uniform I talked to today, and every other internet forum that generally gathers AF-types, both active and retired, has commented on this exact e-mail with nearly universal praise for his message. Granted, a few "words are cheap, we'll see in a few months" from the cynics out there, but for the vast majority of those associated with the AF, it was viewed by the vast majority, very much talked about, and very well received.

I've talked before in another thread that the AF has been in a dangerous downward spiral for nearly a decade now. Something most in the AF readily acknowledge. Almost everyone I talked to over the weekend and today saw some encouragement in Welsh's first official communique as CSAF and acknowledge it's a good start.

Long way to go to that goal line, though. Again, I wish him the best getting there.....

I read it yesterday when it arrived on my phone and enjoyed a refreshing e-mail from our new CSAF. :)
 
And yet every guy and gal in an AF uniform I talked to today, and every other internet forum that generally gathers AF-types, both active and retired, has commented on this exact e-mail with nearly universal praise for his message. Granted, a few "words are cheap, we'll see in a few months" from the cynics out there, but for the vast majority of those associated with the AF, it was viewed by the vast majority, very much talked about, and very well received.

I've talked before in another thread that the AF has been in a dangerous downward spiral for nearly a decade now. Something most in the AF readily acknowledge. Almost everyone I talked to over the weekend and today saw some encouragement in Welsh's first official communique as CSAF and acknowledge it's a good start.

Long way to go to that goal line, though. Again, I wish him the best getting there.....

Not bad points at all. But, consider where you work and with whom.
 
Emails aren't bad, not at all.

I did grow very tired of receiving emails from the inept "leadership" of Janet Napolitano though.

Time will tell for the Air Force.


We had a few flag visitors on my ship when I was in. They all had the same things to say.... new uniforms.... new ships.... blah blah blah. None of that meant anything for the 70 guys that had been dealing with 200 angry Cuban migrants on a flight deck for two weeks. The disconnect between what people wanted/needed to hear about and what the admirals talked about was profound. The mentality was "get this admiral off the ship so we can go back and do what we're supposed to do."

Not everyone in the Air Force is a fan of the F-22 or the F-35.... some of them are in the reserves from active duty because of the F-22. Do emails connect with the guys "down range"? Maybe. Maybe not. I don't know.

I do agree, the gesture is appreciated, especially if it's backed with actions. And actions are what the Air Force needs these days from its leadership, so lets hope it works out.
 
It's a nice letter. I hope Gen. Welsh can make some progress where the service seems to be in decline.
 
BUFF, B-17's and 29's (way before my time) were the greatest heavys ever made. ARC LIGHTS directed by BROMO and executed by BUFF were a great mission to listen to and "watch".
 
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