8/21/2008 - BELLEVUE, Neb. (AFPN) -- The
Air Force chief of staff recently shared some insight on the
experiences that shaped his career and perspective he carries with him
in his new position.
The general spoke as part of Air Force Week in the Heartland Aug. 15 at the Criss Auditorium of the Bellevue University here.
Gen. Norton A. Schwartz spoke to 300 community leaders from greater
Omaha and members from nearby Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., and then led
an Executive Leadership Forum comprised of local business and Air Force
leaders. The events were part of Air Force Week in the Heartland which
wrapped up Aug. 17.
In his speech to the packed auditorium, the general first thanked the
Bellevue and Omaha community for their support of Offutt AFB and all
servicemembers.
"We're refreshed in the shade of your hospitality and warmed by your friendship all these long years," General Schwartz said.
Air Force Week in the Heartland ran from Aug. 9 through 17 as an
initiative to increase communication with the public. Air Force Week
includes community visits and talks by Air Force officials, flight
demonstration team performances and displays highlighting the Air Force
men and women serving on the front lines.
The 19th Air Force chief of staff was confirmed by the Senate Aug. 12
shortly following the resignations of both the former secretary of the
Air Force and the Air Force chief of staff.
"It is not news to anyone that we, as an institution, are at a turning
point and at least a significant milestone in our service's history,"
he said. "I believe it is also a milestone in our journey for leaders
and mentors in the lifelong journey from the 'what is' of today to the
'what ought to be' of tomorrow. None of us would be here if we didn't
have an abiding faith and a steady hope for what can be."
As the service's top officer, he is responsible for organizing,
training and equipping nearly 700,000 active, Reserve, Guard and
civilian members. But an instance early in his career set the tone for
integrity and excellence.
"I can recall a milestone and a rather intense mentoring session that I
had with a senior noncommissioned officer," General Schwartz said. "It
was in 1976 in Clark Air Base in the Philippines when I was a young
first lieutenant and I got reacquainted with Senior Master Sgt. Mort
Freeman, and I haven't been the same since. Sergeant Freeman was an
observer on my jumpmaster certification. Drawing from his experience as
a senior noncommissioned officer and grasp of the skills and knowledge
he acquired, he calculated all the variables and then he busted me on
my check ride.
"I wasn't up to his standards," the general said. "There was no other
way than the right way for him. You either did it right or you weren't
qualified, or you weren't going to progress. Because he knew too many
lives depended on his judgment, he didn't care where you went to
school, who you hung out with or even what job you might eventually
have."
The 1973 graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy is a command pilot with
more than 4,400 flying hours. General Schwartz was a crewmember in the
1975 airlift evacuation of Saigon, Vietnam. Through his career, his
experiences in the joint environment have helped shape his opinion that
the Air Force tomorrow must continue to support the joint fight.
"From my experience as a former combatant commander and as the chief of
staff, I can assure you that the mission can only be accomplished when
all the services work as the joint enterprise that we are," he said. "A
snapshot of our Air Force today reveals that our Airmen are doing it
all and working as a joint team and on convoys. Each of us in our
nation and certainly in our Air Force face as great a challenge as at
any time, certainly in my career. We are going to need young men and
women, to continue to step forward and say, 'Send me.'
"We need people who know that accountability, character and leadership
are the only answers for the demands that we face," the general said.
"We need people who know that the blessings we enjoy come at a price.
There are, indeed, some things worth fighting for and that they are
well worth defending for those who will follow us. We need people who
know that the future of a free people will be written by people who
serve. And those with honor, integrity and creativity will justify
America's confidence in us. It all depends on what we do now."
Stepping into the role as the top military member in the Air Force, the
new chief of staff takes over the service after Defense Secretary
Robert M. Gates charged him with restoring excellence in the Air
Force's nuclear stewardship.
"I hope we can renew a vision of what can be and rekindle the passion
for getting there. I hope we leave here with the "what ought to be"
insight and eventually the wisdom to lead and to change what needs
changing," General Schwartz said.
"We are at a reflection point in our Air Force. Words alone won't
restore confidence because, in the end, people trust only words backed
by actions," he said. "We will continue to work every day around the
world in the honest pursuit of high standards, precision,
accountability and individual reliability that people can count on and
people will respect. I'm proud of what we are doing to protect our
nation, to restore confidence and to make the world a safer place."
To those serving in the Air Force, the general said to, "be right, be
consistent and set standards that will move us from 'what is' to 'what
ought to be.' Visualize a bright and promising future. To all I make
this simple heartfelt appeal: 'Keep the promise.'"
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