AMC commander proud of Grissom's global impact

Published Feb. 10, 2013
By Tech. Sgt. Mark R. W. Orders-Woempner
434th ARW Public Affairs

GRISSOM AIR RESERVE BASE, Ind. -- Grissom's local service and global impact is something a senior Air Force general said he was extremely proud of during a recent visit to the Hoosier base.

Gen. Paul Selva, Air Mobility Command commander, visited Grissom Feb. 5 as he tours AMC-gained Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard units.

"You put the 'global' in global vigilance, reach and power," said Selva during a town hall meeting with Airmen here. "You ought to be very proud about what you do because I certainly am, and I'm not bashful about boasting about it.

"Your unit has a huge reputation, and that's a good thing," the general continued. "People respect what you do and what you bring to the fight."

During his visit, Selva toured Grissom's Airman and Family Readiness Center, a KC-135R Stratotanker and the 434th Air Refueling Wing command post where he received a detailed mission briefing.

He also talked about key areas he is focused on which include mission accomplishment, Airmen care and training.

"There are three things that I spend a lot of times thinking about and the first one is get the mission done because, in the end, that's why we're here," the general explained. "You and your fellow Airmen in AMC do that every day and make it look easy, but it's not; it's complicated, it's hard work and it requires dedication and professionalism and without you the mission doesn't get done."

And while Airmen are key to mission success, taking care of those Airmen is vital to their success.

"Our mission is built on the foundation of every Airman giving 100 percent to that mission, which means you have to take care of making sure we do this from a caring and respectful workplace, that we all respect each other as Airmen, and that we all take care of each other as Airmen," Selva elaborated. "That means all of us have to be leaders, however old or young we are or whether we wear a uniform or not.

"We all have to take responsibility for the quality of our workplace, which means we don't put up with prejudice, we don't put up with discrimination, and we don't put up with treating each other without respect," he added.

The third focus of the general was about making sure Airmen are trained to do the right things going forward.

"Training you to do things right, we're pretty good at, but we have to train you to do the right things," he said before discussing how upcoming budget cuts will force the Air Force to refocus on how and for what it trains its Airmen.

There will be a huge change in the amount of money available to complete an essential mission, so the Air Force is going to have to reprioritize and get back to its roots, he added and asked all Airmen to help by submitting their ideas through their chain of command to help save money.

Despite the upcoming challenges with budgets, Selva said he remained convinced the Air Force will be even better in the end.

"We've got to navigate to the end of this challenge, and that's all it is, a challenge; It's not the end of the world, it's not even close," the general said. "We are and have been the best Air Force on the planet... and there has been nobody that's come anywhere close, and we don't intend to let that happen now.

"So, we've got to stay ahead of the competition, and that means if we have to get a little smaller and trim around the edges, then we're going to do it," he concluded. "But, I will promise you, when we get out on the other side of this we will be the best Air Force on the planet because we can accept nothing else."

The general was accompanied by Brig. Gen. Roy E. Uptegraff III, Air National Guard assistant to the AMC commander, and Chief Master Sgt. Richard Kaiser, AMC command chief.

AMC's mission is to provide rapid, global mobility and sustainment for America's armed forces. The command also plays a crucial role in providing humanitarian support at home and around the world. AMC is made up of regular Air Force, AFR and ANG Airmen who provide aerial refueling, airlift, special air mission and aeromedical evacuation capabilities to the U.S. armed forces and allies.

Grissom's host unit, the 434th ARW, is gained by AMC when mobilized or deployed. The 434th ARW is the largest KC-135R Stratotanker unit in the Air Force Reserve Command.

Stay connected with Grissom and the 434th ARW on Twitter and Facebook.

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Public Affairs Staff