WEBVTT 00:00.250 --> 00:01.083 - It was great. 00:01.083 --> 00:02.980 It was very informative. 00:02.980 --> 00:04.670 It was great to see all the airmen out there 00:04.670 --> 00:07.610 and have an opportunity to find out what they're doing. 00:07.610 --> 00:09.710 I think the best part of it 00:09.710 --> 00:13.640 was seeing they were pretty fired up to be doing it, 00:13.640 --> 00:16.230 wasn't their normal everyday job 00:16.230 --> 00:19.000 and they were motivated to be out there, 00:19.000 --> 00:21.340 demonstrating how much they've done 00:21.340 --> 00:23.730 and how far we've come on the 52nd come 00:23.730 --> 00:25.143 on Agile Combat Employment. 00:26.530 --> 00:29.510 Our NATO partners are really the backbone 00:29.510 --> 00:30.930 of Agile Combat Employment. 00:30.930 --> 00:32.170 Can't do it without them. 00:32.170 --> 00:36.100 As you look at the challenges we have across Europe, 00:36.100 --> 00:38.720 we are here with our partners 00:38.720 --> 00:42.950 and to operate half of their fields with their airmen. 00:42.950 --> 00:46.350 We've got to have them embedded into the concept, 00:46.350 --> 00:48.310 into the big idea, 00:48.310 --> 00:50.160 the culture of agility. 00:50.160 --> 00:53.850 So fundamentally, we've got to continue to not only refine 00:53.850 --> 00:54.840 how we do business, 00:54.840 --> 00:57.113 but how we do business with our partners. 00:58.570 --> 01:00.900 Persistent training really allows us 01:00.900 --> 01:03.830 to refine the interoperability, 01:03.830 --> 01:07.410 the muscle memory we need with our partners 01:07.410 --> 01:10.010 to be able to execute Agile Combat Employment 01:10.010 --> 01:11.950 'cause without that muscle memory, 01:11.950 --> 01:13.600 you're not gonna be able to generate 01:13.600 --> 01:15.340 the combat power we need, 01:15.340 --> 01:18.070 the logistical support we're gonna need from our partners, 01:18.070 --> 01:19.450 and that's all integral 01:19.450 --> 01:22.470 to be able to deliver Agile Combat Employment, 01:22.470 --> 01:25.340 and ultimately, deter and defend 01:25.340 --> 01:26.803 if we're required to do that. 01:28.810 --> 01:32.090 So the first thing I tell you is our airman, 01:32.090 --> 01:33.320 the airmen out there, 01:33.320 --> 01:37.380 across the 52nd Spangdahlem frankly, they're ingenious. 01:37.380 --> 01:39.360 They are solving problems. 01:39.360 --> 01:41.730 And it was clear to me today that as I go out there 01:41.730 --> 01:43.560 and find these motivated airmen, 01:43.560 --> 01:47.230 they are those that are gonna smoke out the problems, 01:47.230 --> 01:50.400 bring solutions to the leadership, to their supervisors, 01:50.400 --> 01:52.150 and then ultimately solve them 01:52.150 --> 01:55.570 so that we can go out execute with our partners 01:55.570 --> 01:58.390 where fundamentally we've got to build the trust 01:58.390 --> 02:01.230 and confidence with them that we can do this together. 02:01.230 --> 02:03.100 And so the airmen demonstrated to me 02:03.100 --> 02:06.670 that they will be the ones that find the problems, 02:06.670 --> 02:08.920 solve them, and then work with our partners 02:08.920 --> 02:13.463 to ensure we can deliver the mission that's given to us. 02:15.470 --> 02:19.880 So the concept started with our staffs work 02:19.880 --> 02:23.580 at the major command level with PACAF. 02:23.580 --> 02:26.810 And as we looked at what PACAF was doing 02:26.810 --> 02:30.210 and then our problem internal to Europe, 02:30.210 --> 02:31.690 we recognize that we have 02:31.690 --> 02:35.610 this what we call a tyranny of proximity, we're close. 02:35.610 --> 02:37.070 We are here with our partners 02:37.070 --> 02:39.980 and we're gonna have to be working closely with them 02:39.980 --> 02:42.760 to solve what is inevitably a challenge given 02:42.760 --> 02:44.880 the adversaries capabilities. 02:44.880 --> 02:46.980 But as we looked at the concept and refined it, 02:46.980 --> 02:50.360 we knew the answers to the problems 02:50.360 --> 02:51.530 were gonna come from the Wings 02:51.530 --> 02:54.950 and the Wings are gonna have to reach out 02:54.950 --> 02:56.300 to the local area, 02:56.300 --> 02:58.010 to the partners they work with every day 02:58.010 --> 03:00.740 to help us understand, how to do you, 03:00.740 --> 03:03.560 in a very detailed fashion actually solve 03:03.560 --> 03:06.350 the problems associated with a concept. 03:06.350 --> 03:08.300 Here's probably the best way to think about. 03:08.300 --> 03:12.080 A concept is paper, PowerPoint slides. 03:12.080 --> 03:14.450 The Wings actually have to go do it. 03:14.450 --> 03:15.910 And that's the way we've done it 03:15.910 --> 03:19.440 and has the Spangdahlem team demonstrated to me today. 03:19.440 --> 03:21.340 They're doing it and getting after it. 03:23.020 --> 03:25.470 So the big idea behind Ace 03:25.470 --> 03:29.850 is to both proactively maneuver our force 03:29.850 --> 03:33.150 but at the same time be reactive when we need to. 03:33.150 --> 03:36.180 And so as you look at the operational environment, 03:36.180 --> 03:38.260 the world we live in today is very dynamic, 03:38.260 --> 03:39.640 changing every day. 03:39.640 --> 03:44.640 And so the idea is here to provide dilemmas, problems, 03:44.660 --> 03:48.010 challenges for our adversaries in what we do every day 03:48.010 --> 03:50.230 because that allows us to deter 03:50.230 --> 03:52.040 and so the exercises 03:52.040 --> 03:55.300 that the Wings are executing across Europe, 03:55.300 --> 03:57.430 provide that problem to our adversaries. 03:57.430 --> 03:59.730 They know what we're doing generally 03:59.730 --> 04:01.470 without the detailed work of it 04:01.470 --> 04:03.150 and that gives us the opportunity 04:03.150 --> 04:06.550 to demonstrate our deterrence in everyday operations. 04:06.550 --> 04:09.560 And as we do that, we do it with our partners, 04:09.560 --> 04:11.480 which allows us to build that trust 04:11.480 --> 04:13.160 and confidence in each other, 04:13.160 --> 04:17.370 such that if something unfortunately turns into crisis, 04:17.370 --> 04:19.880 we're ready to go and we're ready to go on day one 04:19.880 --> 04:21.993 and that's what Ace does for us. 04:23.040 --> 04:23.990 I just want to say thanks. 04:23.990 --> 04:25.070 It's been a great visit. 04:25.070 --> 04:28.420 And what the team here as Spangdahlem has done 04:28.420 --> 04:32.310 to take the PowerPoint slides of the concept 04:32.310 --> 04:35.590 to the next level of operational capabilities. 04:35.590 --> 04:38.070 It's impressive and they've done a great job 04:38.070 --> 04:40.220 and I'd asked him to keep getting after it.