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Top AF enlisted leader visits Maxwell-Gunter

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Melissa Copeland
  • Air University Public Affairs
MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. --  The 16th Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force, James A. Roy, visited with chiefs, first sergeants, enlisted instructors and local Airmen at Maxwell Sept. 25 during his first visit as the top enlisted leader.

Maxwell is home to the 42nd Air Base Wing and Air University, the center of Air Force professional military and continuing education for all levels of enlisted, officer and civilian personnel.

First, Chief Roy visited with senior enlisted Airmen attending the Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy's Chief's Leadership Course and students at the First Sergeant Academy at Maxwell's Gunter Annex.

Both academies, in addition to the Community College of the Air Force and the Air Force Enlisted Heritage Research Institute, fall under the organizational umbrella of Air University's Thomas N. Barnes Center for Enlisted Education. The center is responsible for the refining and enacting of all Air Force enlisted professional military education.

The chief emphasized his three areas of high-interest; the importance of increasing opportunities for joint and coalition professional military education, the deliberate development of Airmen and the Year of the Air Force Family.

Aligning under the joint PME focus, AU brings international officers from more than 67 countries each year to attend the International Officer School.

While here, the officers participate in Air War College, Air Command and Staff College and Squadron Officer School programs.

In addition, Air University recently graduated the first Iraqi Air Force noncommissioned officer from the Noncommissioned Officer Academy here.

Over lunch with local Airmen, Chief Roy defined his second priority - the technical and professional development of Airmen.

While serving in his previous assignment, Chief Roy found that other countries desired to replicate the U.S. Air Force professional development systems, for example, Airman Leadership School, SNCOA and the Noncommissioned Officer Academy.

"These are the things that set us apart from everyone else," the chief said. "We have some outstanding enlisted leaders in the Air Force. Listening to their experiences tells me the systems we have in place are working."

Chief Roy said that although PME systems are working, Air Force leadership is examining options to shorten the 10-year timeline between ALS and NCOA and also further define the credentials and resources needed to guarantee successful Airmen.

"We can stay the same or we can continue to improve ourselves," Chief Roy shared. "The U.S. military will always continue to improve."

In reference to the recent designation as July 2009 to July 2010 as the Year of the Air Force Family, the chief recounted the four pillars in focus - health and wellness; Airman and family support; education, development and employment; and Airman and family housing.

"We've got to remember that it's not just those of us who wear the uniform that are considered part of our family," Chief Roy said.

He also shared that although this year is designated to focus on these pillars, it is only the beginning of enhancing Airman and family support.

During his last stop of the visit, Chief Roy spoke with enlisted instructors at the Air and Space Basic Course, who teach newly commissioned second lieutenants expeditionary combative skills during their four-week indoctrination.

With more than 40,000 Airmen currently deployed, the role of these enlisted instructors is invaluable.

"We are a nation at war and we need to remember that," Chief Roy said. "This is our war ... and we will continue to do the things that are asked of us."