ACC command chief addresses current issues at enlisted call

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Markus M. Maier
  • 55th Wing Public Affairs
OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. --  Chief Master Sgt. Richard Parsons, command chief of Air Combat Command, addressed 55th Wing enlisted members during a chief's call at the Bennie Davis Maintenance Facility Feb. 1.

Parsons, who spent several days here as part of the Executive Chiefs Course, took the time to share the command's perspective on some of the issues currently affecting the enlisted corps throughout ACC.

He started out by thanking Team Offutt for hosting the event and praised the wing's accomplishments throughout 2012.

"Thank you for what you have done in the past year," Parsons said. "Amazing numbers in statistics of things you have done, not just here at home, but throughout the areas of responsibility. Thank you for all you do for our country and all the sacrifices that you and your family make to ensure that we remain free of the many threats that would like to do harm to not only our nation, but our way of life."

He then moved on to address the current fiscal environment and the potential challenges ahead.

"The bottom line is, for you and me, we still have a mission to do, and that's where we need to stay focused," the chief said. "At the end of the day, we are not drawing down on the mission that has to be accomplished. That is good news, because it means you can continue to do the amazing things that you do. You can continue to live with the understanding that you have a purpose that is bigger than yourself."

He added that he expects cuts in available resources, and that prioritization of resources is key to continue to get the mission done.

"You will not have as much time, people or resources that you desire to do what you do," the chief said. "You have to figure out how to be the very best at everything you do with the limited quantity of resources, people and time. That means setting good priorities with boundaries. You have to stay focused on those priorities."

Parsons then said that this is not the most trying time this country has seen, listing historical events to illustrate America's resiliency.

"I look back at our founding fathers, the challenges they had in bringing multiple countries together to make this nation," Parsons said. "I look to the Great Depression. I look to the challenges that Abraham Lincoln took us through with getting over slavery. I look to the challenges that Martin Luther King Jr. took us through with racism and what he was able to accomplish. I look back at the challenges Billy Mitchell faced to establish the great airpower and dominance that we are today. I will tell you that we come out of every one of those challenges as a better nation, as a better military and as a better group of people."

He also spoke about the importance of courage and leadership.

"These challenges were overcome because of courageous leaders who cared more about their institutions and America, than their personal interests," he said. "That type of courageous leadership is needed today, to overcome the challenges due to the current fiscal situation."

Parsons also stressed the importance of resiliency to help Airmen and their families get through demanding times.

"The social, emotional, physical and spiritual aspects of life are critical and vital to your success," he said. "I'm not talking about your promotion or pay raise, because I think those are trivial compared to what true success is. The measure of true success is whether or not you walk through this career, and finish it with your family and health intact. So I challenge you to invest time into those things, to not only use them as an answer to a test question, or just some trivial piece of information but to live out those four pillars of health every day in your life."

Parsons also talked about the possibility of the Air Force implementing another date of separation rollback, and addressed questions about possible changes to retirement and tuition assistance benefits.

"We are at a point today where we running out of [TA] and we don't have money to put back into it. That's the bottom line."

He added that there are several proposals being considered on how TA benefits might change.

"ACC's position is that we advocate 100 percent tuition assistance for our younger Airmen, and that we incrementally go down to our senior ranks," Parsons said. "One of the proposals is zero tuition assistance for our E-8s and E-9s, and majors and above. What's the moral of the story? You better get busy. If you want to use it, you better start using it now, because it absolutely will change."

Parsons also answered questions about possible cuts to flying hours, uniform wear, manpower and physical training, and then transitioned to a recent historical milestone for the Air Force enlisted corps.

"There was an encouraging thing at the recent change of responsibility ceremony," he said. "They unveiled a positional flag for the Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force. That is a monumental movement for the enlisted corps. That speaks volumes of what senior leaders think and what they expect of that position. That's a huge step forward for us as an enlisted corps."

Parsons wrapped up his remarks reminding enlisted Airmen no matter what, be proud.

"We are still the strongest Air Force in the history of the world," he said. "Every other air force in the world would love to have half of what we have. Half of our budget, half of our planes and they would love to have just half of the combat capability our enlisted force puts out. They would love to have that backbone."