CMSAF Roy tours Team Luke Published Jan. 20, 2011 By Staff Sgt. R.J. Biermann 56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. -- The Air Force's top enlisted leader visited members of Team Luke Jan. 11 and 12. During the stopover at Luke Air Force Base, Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James Roy, visited the Mission Ready Airman facility, Operation Thunderbox, 756th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, 56th Force Support Squadron fitness assessment cell and John J. Rhodes Airman Leadership School. Chief Roy also attended the 56th Fighter Wing quarterly awards ceremony and Luke Airmen Fund Executive Council meeting. At the conclusion of his tour, the Luke Public Affairs office held a question and answer session with the chief on deployments, fitness, joint operations, training and meeting every-day challenges. PA: We had about 280 Airmen deployed, on average, per week last year. That's a little more than five percent of Luke. Many are filling joint expeditionary taskings. How are our current temporary duty predeployment training courses translating in a field environment and what's being looked at to improve them? CMSAF: Before going downrange, those Joint Expeditionary Tasking Airmen receive combat skills training. It's led by 2nd Air Force, but the Army does the training. I've been to a lot of the training locations; they do a very good job. Second Air Force has been able to consolidate down to five locations around the continental U.S. I think combat skills training is also important for warfighters going downrange. Whether they're operating on or off the installation, the fact is that installation can come under attack. So they need to have that particular training and that training is done in a multitude of ways. Certain Air Force specialty codes have their own individual training for particular missions to prepare Airmen before they go downrange. It's upon us as an institution, as an Air Force, to provide and facilitate that training. PA: Since being a first-term Airman (1982-civil engineer) how have you seen the Air Force's focus on fitness evolve to meet the needs of our ever-changing mission? CMSAF: It's changed dramatically. Twenty-nine years ago our fitness [program] consisted of an annual mile-and-a-half run and that was it. We had a lot of people die because they did the fitness test but didn't do anything else throughout the year. They'd go there, push themselves as hard as they could and some had heart attacks and died. It will take a culture change. When you ask today "Are Airmen 'Fit to Fight?'" It's an absolute yes. Are we changing the culture of fitness and taking it more seriously? Absolutely. Just look at the fact that nearly 90 percent of Airmen are passing the test. And, besides that, when I watch Airmen do the test or work out at the fitness center, I see people helping each other. That's one aspect. Another testament is the fact we have around 47 percent who have received a 90 percent or above score. PA: You likely spend a good amount of time traveling, and it may be difficult to stick to a strict fitness schedule, or maybe you're only able to work out alone. Many of our Airmen are working changing schedules, traveling, deploying or working longer hours and often can only find time to work out alone. What can you share with our Airmen about the importance of a personal fitness routine and goals as they relate to mission accomplishment? CMSAF: It's a personal commitment. We are on the road an awful lot, but I always find a way to work out. I'm an advocate of physical fitness, and it helps me keep up the stamina required by the position. It's no different for other Airmen doing the jobs they're doing. We're busy and our Airmen need to make time to work out. Their units should be working with them as well. We were running this morning, and I saw a unit doing calisthenics - pushups and sit-ups - as a team. That is exactly what we want to drive toward. It helps build esprit de corps and that's what this is all about. PA: You are a strong supporter of joint operations. What are some things you've learned from your sister service counterparts, i.e. sergeant major of the Army and Marine Corps and the master chief petty officer of the Navy, that may benefit how we do business day in and day out? CMSAF: I am a very big proponent of jointness. One caveat is we should never want to take away any service's cultures. I worked for a four-star admiral who used to say he didn't want everybody to think like a Sailor or an Airman. We needed to bring the diversity of all those services together. That's where the strength is in the joint team. Then you add the coalition to that as well. Another is this idea of resiliency. I think the Army's program of comprehensive soldier fitness is one we should look at a little closer. There are some commands out there that have done that [and created] comprehensive airman fitness. Why reinvent the wheel? Work with each other and build from that. When I was in those joint positions, we used to bring together all the senior enlisted leaders to talk about the missions we were doing and how the support pieces to that mission would happen. You begin to learn lot about how individual services take care of each other. Another one we've learned about just recently is the single Marine and single Sailor program or what the Army calls better opportunities for single Soldiers. It's taking care of our young, single Airmen, not according to rank, just single Airmen that all have challenges. PA: Are there any outstanding Air Force practices that you've shared with sister servicemembers? CMSAF: Certainly I've had conversations with them about the whole idea of deliberate development. The means by which we manage this enlisted talent is of interest to all because we're the smallest we've ever been. It's important to ensure we get the right person at the right place and time with the right qualifications and skills. Another is performing personnel exchanges with the other services. One example is exchanging training instructors with Army drill instructors. One of our TIs from Lackland AFB, Texas, is going to an Army basic training location. And one of their DIs will come over to our basic training to run an entire flight of trainees through. That's a great initiative to break down the barriers and see how we can best do things. PA: The total size of our Air Force, numbers-wise, is decreasing. Airmen are being asked to do more with less. What can enlisted Airmen do to overcome manpower challenges they face in their work centers? CMSAF: We have to understand, as Airmen, we're all taxpayers. Think about everything you do in terms of paying for it yourself. Can we do it more efficiently? In many cases we can, and there are plenty of examples across our Air Force. There are efficiencies that can be found, and we shouldn't be driving those efficiencies from a headquarters. We should be allowing Airmen to drive them because they know best how to do the mission. My challenge to all Airmen [is] to identify efficiencies and treat them as if they're being paid for by the Airmen. We have to realize that, regardless of the size of the force, we are chartered for the defense of this nation. It doesn't say if you have 10 or 10,000. It says "defense of this nation," and that's what we do, regardless of our size. Before his departure, the chief shared some closing thoughts about Team Luke. "I want to thank all the folks here at Team Luke for what they do," Chief Roy said. "The mission here is tremendous in providing combat-able and ready forces to the war effort. [Luke is] mission-focused. Thank you for what you're doing in contributing to the security and safety of our nation." Chief Roy also sent a special thanks to those behind the scenes. "Just one last point, to the family members who support our Airmen every day; we absolutely appreciate every sacrifice made. We know there are many," he said. "As we've just come back from the Bronze Star ceremony for Special Agent [Nathan] Hunter, I think about his wife and three children that support him. There is a lot of sacrifice, and I applaud that effort. I thank family members so much for what they do. It's because of them that we can do what we do."