Command chief discusses hot issues during enlisted call

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Clinton Atkins
  • 66th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
HANSCOM AFB, Mass. --  After the Senior Enlisted Leadership Summit concluded on July 27 at Maxwell Air Force Base Gunter Annex, Ala., 66th Air Base Wing and Electronic Systems Center Command Chief Master Sgt. Lisa Sirois returned and shared her views and enthusiasm for Airmen at an enlisted call held July 31.

 "It was an incredible opportunity to be a part of the Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force's forum that brought senior enlisted leaders together to address enlisted issues and topics important to our Air Force, particularly our Chief of Staff's top three priorities: fighting and winning the Global War on Terror, developing and caring for our Airmen, and recapitalizing and modernizing our aging aircraft," Chief Sirois said. 

During the enlisted call, Chief Sirois shared her perspective and touched on many of these topics with Hanscom's Airmen. 

Global War on Terror 
Some of the information Chief Sirois relayed to the Airmen at Hanscom came from various combatant command senior leaders at the summit, who briefed the chiefs on what Airmen are bringing to the fight. 

Chief Sirois said that the Airmen here have a significant impact on the Global War on Terror. "I want Hanscom's Airmen to know how important their contributions are to the war effort," the chief said. "It doesn't matter what functional role our Airmen serve in the Area of Responsibility, they are deploying and making a valuable difference. Our Airmen at Hanscom are in the fight." 

Heritage 
During the summit, enlisted leaders also focused on Air Force enlisted heritage. On July 26, the participants of the summit paid tribute to two significant milestones in Air Force history: the Office of the Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force's 40th anniversary and the Air Force's 60th anniversary. Many of the former Chief Master Sergeants of the Air Force were in attendance at the formal banquet. 

Chief Sirois reemphasized Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Rodney McKinley's message, stated in an Air Force News article, that he would love to see the Air Force's enlisted heritage spread on every wall of all squadrons, enlisted clubs and dormitories. (Read this article at www.af.mil/news/story.asp?storyID=123062383.) 

One way base Airmen will celebrate enlisted heritage is by attending the Chiefs' Recognition Ceremony tonight at the Minuteman Club. 

The event will be especially memorable because the oldest living chief master sergeant, retired Chief Master Sgt. Esther MacKay, 102, will be inducted as an honorary Charter Chief.

Developing and Caring for Airmen 
One of the hot items that Chief Sirois discussed was the new Enlisted Performance Report, which calls for the inclusion of fitness information. 

A fitness score below 75 will result in a referral EPR, which can affect areas such as promotion testing, assignments and other personnel-related actions. 

The chief also discussed the Noncommissioned Officer Retraining Program and its impact on balancing and shaping the force. (For more information on retraining, see the accompanying articles on this page.) 

Chief Sirois said those vulnerable should seriously consider retraining during the voluntary phase of the program.

 "You need to know how this program affects you. If you are a Senior NCO, you also need to know how it affects the NCOs who work for you," she said. 

When the topic of professional development was broached, the chief encouraged maximum participation in professional organizations.

 "Every enlisted member should belong to at least one professional organization, such as the Air Force Sergeants Association," she said. 

The chief also discussed the importance of wearing Air Force uniforms correctly and with pride, to include physical training gear. 

During the Senior Enlisted Leadership Summit, attendees received updates on the Airman Battle Dress uniform, the heritage jacket, and physical fitness gear. 

More coverage about the Senior Enlisted Leadership Summit is available on the Air Force News Web site at www.af.mil/news/story _print.asp?id=123061691 and www.af.mil/news /story.asp?id=123062607. Additionally, an Airman's Roll Call was written about the Senior Enlisted Summit. To view the Airman's Roll Call, visit www.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-070731-109.pdf.