WEBVTT 00:00.009 --> 00:01.787 I would say one of the greatest 00:01.787 --> 00:03.842 accomplishments that we've had since 00:03.842 --> 00:05.842 we've been here as a team is really 00:05.842 --> 00:07.787 getting after the readiness of our 00:07.787 --> 00:09.953 airmen . Uh really kind of putting the 00:09.953 --> 00:12.176 focus in on , you know , what that next 00:12.176 --> 00:14.231 fight for great power competition is 00:14.231 --> 00:16.342 gonna be uh and connecting the airmen 00:16.342 --> 00:18.398 back to the basic and really helping 00:18.398 --> 00:20.342 them understand why they're here , 00:20.342 --> 00:22.565 right ? And starting at the beginning , 00:22.565 --> 00:24.565 right ? And then helping them build 00:24.565 --> 00:26.565 their education up and then getting 00:26.565 --> 00:28.620 them the sets and the reps that they 00:28.620 --> 00:30.620 need in order to be successful , uh 00:30.620 --> 00:33.450 culminating in like multiple exercises , 00:33.549 --> 00:35.549 um different types of opportunities 00:35.549 --> 00:37.771 there being on that second island chain 00:37.771 --> 00:40.319 out there in SaiPan and just making it 00:40.330 --> 00:42.441 happen . What was your experience you 00:42.441 --> 00:44.163 had in SaiPan ? So it , it was 00:44.163 --> 00:46.108 phenomenal just to just to get out 00:46.108 --> 00:48.330 there and see our airmen in action . Um 00:48.330 --> 00:50.849 They were excited , they were pumped up , 00:50.860 --> 00:53.619 the team work was second to none . And 00:53.630 --> 00:55.797 I , I know a lot of times we , we have 00:55.797 --> 00:58.130 these generational arguments like , hey , 00:58.130 --> 01:00.297 is , is this next generation of airmen 01:00.297 --> 01:02.463 going to be able to handle some of the 01:02.463 --> 01:04.686 challenges that maybe you and I endured 01:04.686 --> 01:06.908 with the operation Iraqi Freedom . They 01:06.908 --> 01:09.130 are , they're a lot better than what we 01:09.130 --> 01:11.639 were . Um , just , just the morale and 01:11.650 --> 01:13.900 the energy when I got out there . So 01:13.910 --> 01:16.660 they had only had shower tents for 01:16.669 --> 01:20.029 maybe three out of the 15 days that 01:20.040 --> 01:23.480 they were on ground Mres every day . 01:24.129 --> 01:27.400 But still at the end of it all , they 01:27.410 --> 01:30.160 were excited getting the mission done 01:30.470 --> 01:32.526 and once again the morale was high . 01:32.849 --> 01:35.016 Yeah , I think just being able to take 01:35.016 --> 01:37.238 that back and the lessons learned , you 01:37.238 --> 01:39.238 know , for them to then parlay that 01:39.238 --> 01:41.127 into what the next thing is . And 01:41.127 --> 01:43.182 they've got to get that experience , 01:43.182 --> 01:45.293 they gotta get that experience before 01:45.293 --> 01:47.571 we actually have to go . Um , you know , 01:47.571 --> 01:49.793 whether it be deployment or if there is 01:49.793 --> 01:51.849 a contingency and it's our job , you 01:51.849 --> 01:53.960 know , as commander and command chief 01:53.960 --> 01:56.182 to make sure that we set the conditions 01:56.182 --> 01:56.089 in which they're gonna thrive . And I , 01:56.099 --> 01:58.099 I talk a lot about , you know , not 01:58.319 --> 02:00.541 tripping over our own shoelaces getting 02:00.541 --> 02:02.375 out the door and that's why like 02:02.375 --> 02:04.541 processes and even though we're not in 02:04.541 --> 02:06.763 a contingency operation , but it's just 02:06.763 --> 02:09.029 the reps and sets of doing it because 02:09.039 --> 02:11.250 when it happens , there's gonna be so 02:11.259 --> 02:13.315 much more that they're gonna have to 02:13.315 --> 02:15.426 think about the basics of getting out 02:15.426 --> 02:17.315 the door , how to set up , how to 02:17.315 --> 02:19.537 operate . They need to have that cold . 02:19.537 --> 02:21.759 And I think we're on a path right now . 02:21.759 --> 02:23.926 Where those reps , reps and sets are , 02:23.926 --> 02:26.148 are making a difference . And we've got 02:26.148 --> 02:28.315 this great two year readiness plan and 02:28.315 --> 02:28.139 they're just , they just keep getting 02:28.149 --> 02:30.316 after it . What's next ? What's next ? 02:30.316 --> 02:32.538 And just to keep challenging our airmen 02:32.538 --> 02:36.240 with . Are you ready ? Absolutely . 02:36.649 --> 02:38.869 I think the , the biggest thing for me 02:38.880 --> 02:40.936 when it , when it comes to readiness 02:41.020 --> 02:43.039 for me , readiness starts with the 02:43.050 --> 02:45.940 mindset before it becomes a skill set . 02:45.979 --> 02:48.090 And I think one of the , the simplest 02:48.090 --> 02:50.360 things that we did , I think this was 02:50.369 --> 02:53.240 probably my , my first month in the job , 02:53.429 --> 02:55.707 we went to a quarterly awards ceremony . 02:55.707 --> 02:57.929 And at that quarterly awards ceremony , 02:57.929 --> 03:01.889 we introduced AAA new kind of handshake 03:01.899 --> 03:04.800 or , or , or , or model . And so we , 03:04.809 --> 03:07.029 we said before we got here , the 03:07.039 --> 03:09.410 mindset was , hey , we're in Hawaii , 03:09.419 --> 03:13.130 let's just hang out . But then we said , 03:13.139 --> 03:16.279 you know what we love Hawaii , we love 03:16.289 --> 03:18.289 the culture . We , we , we love the 03:18.289 --> 03:19.956 opportunities that we have to 03:19.956 --> 03:22.178 experience this great land . But at the 03:22.178 --> 03:24.880 same time , we wanna go from this to 03:24.889 --> 03:27.589 this . And I think just that small 03:27.600 --> 03:29.544 gesture that's right , shifted the 03:29.544 --> 03:31.878 mindsets of a lot of our airmen . And I , 03:31.878 --> 03:33.878 I think uh one of the best memories 03:33.878 --> 03:35.878 that I have when we're both here is 03:35.878 --> 03:38.880 just that December 7th memorial , right ? 03:39.149 --> 03:41.260 Just being able to stand out there in 03:41.260 --> 03:43.800 front of the flagpole and watching , 03:43.970 --> 03:45.859 you know , friends , family . But 03:45.859 --> 03:48.000 survivors of that attack , you know , 03:48.009 --> 03:50.259 folks that were Children that were 03:50.270 --> 03:52.559 there when the Japanese attacked and 03:52.570 --> 03:55.720 the rain down of terror happened and 03:55.729 --> 03:57.896 then looking around and saying , hey , 03:58.350 --> 04:01.610 this flagpole that building the wing 04:01.619 --> 04:04.429 building , pa still the same , right ? 04:04.440 --> 04:07.429 This we live and work on a national 04:07.440 --> 04:09.718 battlefield and we should never forget . 04:09.919 --> 04:12.250 And as we look around how lucky and 04:12.259 --> 04:14.580 grateful we are , but we shouldn't say 04:14.589 --> 04:16.730 that , you know , we're not gonna 04:16.739 --> 04:18.795 prepare , then it would never happen 04:18.795 --> 04:21.579 again . But what a moving opportunity 04:21.589 --> 04:23.700 and then , you know , from the , from 04:23.700 --> 04:25.867 the fly over , you know , to the , the 04:25.867 --> 04:28.880 beautiful um uh you know , rendition of 04:28.890 --> 04:31.850 the national anthem . Um I love , 04:32.309 --> 04:34.420 love that they always sing the Hawaii 04:34.420 --> 04:36.642 Pono e at every event . We're always so 04:36.642 --> 04:39.260 inclusive of this great culture and the 04:39.269 --> 04:41.450 blessings . We have to be a part of 04:41.459 --> 04:43.570 this community and to learn so much . 04:43.570 --> 04:45.792 I've never been at a base where they've 04:45.792 --> 04:47.903 done that before . Have you ? Never , 04:47.903 --> 04:50.237 never , never . And I think for me , my , 04:50.237 --> 04:52.181 my fondest memory would have to be 04:52.220 --> 04:55.429 March 23 when we had our joint base 04:55.440 --> 04:58.279 readiness exercise . And we , we capped 04:58.290 --> 05:01.540 it off with a medical evacuation 05:01.549 --> 05:04.399 exercise where we had two helicopters 05:04.410 --> 05:06.632 literally land right out here . And I , 05:06.632 --> 05:09.380 I just thought that was man , this is 05:09.390 --> 05:12.440 what readiness is all about . If 05:12.450 --> 05:14.929 something happened , we don't have a 05:14.940 --> 05:18.459 choice but to activate our medics . And 05:18.470 --> 05:20.899 then it was beautiful to see our joint 05:20.910 --> 05:23.089 partnership with our army brothers and 05:23.100 --> 05:25.600 sisters . Oh , yeah , 100% . So , for 05:25.609 --> 05:27.920 me , that was my fondest memory . Yeah , 05:27.929 --> 05:30.390 that was , uh , such a great event and 05:30.399 --> 05:32.621 to be able to have that capability here 05:32.621 --> 05:34.843 and to look at it differently , right ? 05:34.843 --> 05:37.066 To say , hey , there's a patch of green 05:37.066 --> 05:39.459 grass but it can be used for no matter , 05:39.470 --> 05:41.637 no matter what and to know and like to 05:41.637 --> 05:43.692 have these airmen be flexible with , 05:43.692 --> 05:45.803 like you got what you got and how are 05:45.803 --> 05:48.026 you gonna turn it into something that's 05:48.026 --> 05:49.914 gonna save lives and protect this 05:49.914 --> 05:52.026 nation ? Yeah , that was , that was a 05:52.026 --> 05:54.081 great event . If I if I had to leave 05:54.081 --> 05:56.081 our airmen with the message , every 05:56.081 --> 05:58.303 airman is important . You know , one of 05:58.303 --> 06:00.526 my mentors used to tell me all the time 06:00.526 --> 06:02.581 that your greatest disappointment is 06:02.581 --> 06:04.637 your greatest blessing in disguise , 06:04.637 --> 06:07.989 waiting on you to discover it . So real 06:08.000 --> 06:10.222 quick personal story , I won't get into 06:10.222 --> 06:12.389 all the nuts and bolts . But to make a 06:12.389 --> 06:14.444 long story real short when I was the 06:14.444 --> 06:16.333 first sergeant , I lost one of my 06:16.333 --> 06:19.880 airmen and um II , I found this airman 06:19.890 --> 06:22.250 deceased and that , that was a tough 06:22.260 --> 06:24.427 day for me . In , in fact , it was the 06:24.427 --> 06:26.750 worst day in my air force career . 06:27.559 --> 06:31.440 Number one , every airman you meet has 06:31.450 --> 06:33.790 a story . If you wanna lead that airman 06:33.799 --> 06:35.966 more effectively , you must know their 06:35.966 --> 06:39.859 story . Number two , every human has 06:39.869 --> 06:42.290 value regardless of what they're going 06:42.299 --> 06:44.466 through in life . I don't care if they 06:44.466 --> 06:46.577 just made BT Z or just got an article 06:46.577 --> 06:50.010 15 , they still have value as a 06:50.019 --> 06:52.899 human . And then number three , just 06:52.910 --> 06:55.132 because a person puts on a smiling face 06:55.200 --> 06:57.256 doesn't mean they're happy . This is 06:57.256 --> 07:00.380 why I'm so big on connection . We have 07:00.390 --> 07:04.109 to connect as humans first . Obviously , 07:04.119 --> 07:06.397 there , there's customs and courtesies , 07:06.397 --> 07:08.508 there's protocols . But at the end of 07:08.508 --> 07:10.790 the day , we all go home , we all take 07:10.799 --> 07:12.980 this uniform off . We all laugh , we 07:12.989 --> 07:16.859 all cry , we all bleed red blood . And 07:16.869 --> 07:19.369 because of that , we gotta connect with 07:19.380 --> 07:21.589 one another . It just makes everything 07:21.600 --> 07:24.809 better when we connect . So just know 07:24.820 --> 07:27.209 that each and every airman in this wing 07:27.220 --> 07:30.769 is valued by us and we want the 07:30.779 --> 07:33.459 leaders and fellow wingmen in the wing 07:33.470 --> 07:37.209 to value one another . So I think I 07:37.220 --> 07:39.589 want the airmen to know that they're 07:39.600 --> 07:41.822 important that they are seen . They are 07:41.822 --> 07:44.350 valued , they are heard . We can't do 07:44.359 --> 07:46.739 what we do without them . Their 07:46.750 --> 07:49.890 families are important . I need them to 07:49.899 --> 07:52.730 be honest with us . If they're , if 07:52.739 --> 07:54.961 they're having some challenges to bring 07:54.961 --> 07:57.072 them forward , we're , we're not mind 07:57.072 --> 07:59.239 readers . We don't know everything but 07:59.239 --> 08:01.295 we're here to help . We want to help 08:01.295 --> 08:03.350 and , and just like you talked about 08:03.350 --> 08:05.406 like we , we move together , we grow 08:05.406 --> 08:07.406 together or we learn together or we 08:07.406 --> 08:10.230 fail together . And those , those folks 08:10.239 --> 08:12.320 that are are hesitant , you know , 08:12.329 --> 08:14.551 their , their question is like , well , 08:14.551 --> 08:16.718 if I bring this forward and then maybe 08:16.718 --> 08:18.829 it'll have an impact in my career . I 08:18.829 --> 08:20.940 would challenge you with the , what's 08:20.940 --> 08:23.107 the cost of saying nothing if you have 08:23.107 --> 08:25.218 no other solutions and you don't know 08:25.218 --> 08:27.385 what else to do . Why wouldn't you ask 08:27.385 --> 08:29.551 and why wouldn't you be vulnerable and 08:29.551 --> 08:31.551 ask for help ? We're here to help . 08:31.551 --> 08:30.660 That's what we wanna do . That's what 08:30.670 --> 08:33.090 we're all about . Um , and there's 08:33.099 --> 08:35.321 always a way forward , there's always a 08:35.321 --> 08:37.539 way to make it better and leave it 08:37.549 --> 08:39.660 better than you found it . And in the 08:39.660 --> 08:43.020 end of the day , I have been humbled 08:43.549 --> 08:45.179 and privileged to be in this 08:45.190 --> 08:48.869 opportunity to lead the best wing in 08:48.880 --> 08:50.309 the United States Air Force .