AFMC Command Chief: Every job is important

  • Published
  • By J.C. Corcoran
  • 66th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
HANSCOM AFB, Mass. --  Air Force Materiel Command's senior ranking enlisted Airman visited Hanscom Sept. 3 to 5 to attend the base's Senior Noncommissioned Officer Induction Ceremony and discuss the issues facing today's Air Force with enlisted Airmen and base leaders.

As AFMC's Command Chief Master Sergeant, Chief Bill Gurney is charged with advising the commander and senior staff on matters concerning effective utilization, training, education and readiness of the command's 12,700 enlisted Airmen and their families.

Within that job description, the chief said he has another important goal, "to ensure that the enlisted men and women of AFMC understand where it is that they fit in to the mission."

His hope is to get each officer, enlisted and civilian member of AFMC to understand that their contribution, no matter how big or how small, is important to Hanscom, to AFMC and ultimately to Air Force mission success.

The chief noted that while the development and acquisition missions of AFMC don't always call for Airmen to be "down range every day," it is important for these Airmen to be able to see the results and direct impact of their duties.

"If they are wearing this uniform, then their job, wherever and whatever it is we are asking them to do, is important to the mission and to our nation's defense," he said.

"Enabling the war effort is a lot of what AFMC is about -- providing war-winning capabilities and systems and leading edge technology that directly impacts what is going on down range," the chief said.

In fact, the chief has taken to using a quote by Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton A. Schwartz: "Your worth is not measured by your proximity to the fight." This message is geared toward helping Airmen realize their importance in ensuring mission accomplishment regardless of their duty location, the chief said.

Taking an "immersion" tour of AFMC bases since becoming the command chief in February, Chief Gurney's goal has been to not only meet those who live and work within the command, but to learn the significant accomplishments these Airmen make.

"It's an opportunity for me to learn some of the unique things that they are doing here. AFMC has a lot of mission sets that are not done anywhere else in the Air Force. This is an opportunity to gain a little more insight as to what those important jobs are," he said.

As he has traveled around the command, the chief has heard from Airmen about their concerns and has fielded questions on a variety of topics including many on the fast-paced operations tempo faced by today's force.

"More than anything else, Airmen are asking how long we are going to be engaged in the current fight," he said. "I have no crystal ball and can't tell those who ask what the future holds."

Chief Gurney said that while the upcoming election may bring changes for the military, Airmen need to stay focused on current tasks.

"We are engaged in a fight and we will do what our nation asks of us to do," he said. "It's not a matter of protecting Air Force missions or only doing Air Force missions. It's a matter of doing whatever's necessary. We are all part of one joint team and so the primary focus right now is on the war effort."

An important way Airmen support the war effort is through deployment.

"I expect that in the near term, deployments will increase as Air Force responsibilities continue to grow. As mission responsibilities increase, the need is there to provide support," he said.

"We don't operate in a static environment, so what is true today, may not be true two, three or even six months from now," he said. "Again, we will do what our nation asks us to do."

Three other issues that the chief feels strongly about pertain to taking care of Airmen's families, the quality of people joining the Air Force and the role of first sergeants.

On family: The chief said the service must continue to remain vigilant and attuned to the needs of family members and focus on attending to those needs. He also recognized Airman and Family Readiness Center programs as some of the best in the military.

On today's Airmen: "We have a more talented force today than we have ever had. The Airmen we're bringing through the gates of Lackland [Air Force Base, Texas] are far more talented and smarter than my generation was," he said. "They are much more technologically savvy and can help us leverage that technology to compensate for what we lost in manpower."

The Chief said he sees increased opportunities in the education arena and encourages all Airmen to take advantage of those opportunities.

On the role of first sergeants: Noting that the Air Force is only 85 percent manned in first sergeants, the chief said there is a need to do a better job of internally recruiting people to fill these positions.

"The first sergeant is still one of the most rewarding and challenging positions any enlisted Airman can serve in our Air Force," he said.