WEBVTT 00:01.580 --> 00:04.100 - All right so joining us today are two important 00:04.100 --> 00:04.933 AFSOC leaders. 00:04.933 --> 00:07.460 So we have Lieutenant General Brad Webb 00:07.460 --> 00:09.270 here with us, the AFSOC commander 00:09.270 --> 00:11.530 and then Chief Master Sergeant Gregory Smith, 00:11.530 --> 00:13.550 the AFSOC command chief. 00:13.550 --> 00:16.210 All right so thank you both for joining us today. 00:16.210 --> 00:17.360 I appreciate your time. 00:18.490 --> 00:20.040 My first question for you sir, 00:20.040 --> 00:22.450 there's been an increased emphasis on restoring 00:22.450 --> 00:24.690 readiness across the Air Force, 00:24.690 --> 00:27.160 what changes have you implemented and seen 00:27.160 --> 00:30.152 across the command that helped restore AFSOC ratings? 00:30.152 --> 00:31.750 - Well thanks for the question. 00:31.750 --> 00:36.750 The national defense strategy is really focused on 00:37.010 --> 00:40.800 how do we increase readiness and lethality 00:40.800 --> 00:43.483 to get after today's challenges for America? 00:44.440 --> 00:48.160 Especially the unique aspect of Special Operations 00:48.160 --> 00:50.513 is that we're very busy command, 00:50.513 --> 00:52.570 that AFSOC is always. 00:52.570 --> 00:55.570 And so the real challenge for us is 00:55.570 --> 00:58.700 how do we continue to be primary in a kind of 00:58.700 --> 01:01.293 counter terrorist or counter violent extremist organization 01:01.293 --> 01:02.580 type of fight 01:02.580 --> 01:04.530 and be ready for what is called 01:04.530 --> 01:06.560 great power's competition? 01:06.560 --> 01:09.723 So the process is called forced optimization. 01:09.723 --> 01:12.510 And of course it applies directly here at 01:12.510 --> 01:13.870 Cannon Air Force Base 01:13.870 --> 01:16.040 as we go weapon system by weapon system 01:16.040 --> 01:21.040 and unit by unit on how do we be able to balance 01:21.110 --> 01:25.260 staying primary for what our nation needs us to do 01:25.260 --> 01:27.240 from a counter terrorism perspective 01:27.240 --> 01:28.971 and to be ready in the future. 01:28.971 --> 01:32.620 So we watch very closely 01:32.620 --> 01:35.500 our deployment tempo 01:35.500 --> 01:38.010 and also our personnel tempo. 01:38.010 --> 01:40.230 And of course that is always a challenge 01:40.230 --> 01:43.020 because we as special operators 01:44.260 --> 01:47.020 genetically don't have it in us to be able to say no. 01:47.020 --> 01:48.610 We thoroughly enjoy our jobs 01:48.610 --> 01:50.180 and we want to be part of the mission. 01:50.180 --> 01:52.920 But we have to recognize that sometimes we just 01:52.920 --> 01:54.390 need some mind space 01:54.390 --> 01:55.760 to be able to be ready 01:55.760 --> 01:58.170 for the next challenges down the road. 01:58.170 --> 02:00.570 - [Interviewer] Chief I want to go back to you now, 02:00.570 --> 02:03.110 readiness, training and education are vital aspects 02:03.110 --> 02:04.800 of being a well rounded air man, 02:04.800 --> 02:08.090 how will AFSOC leaders continue to emphasis these assets? 02:08.090 --> 02:10.080 - And so I would probably rephrase this 02:10.080 --> 02:12.880 as training, education, and experience 02:12.880 --> 02:15.370 are fundamental aspects of readiness 02:15.370 --> 02:17.811 and as long as you understand that I've given you 02:17.811 --> 02:20.700 as the senior enlisted leader of this command 02:20.700 --> 02:22.679 and as a front line supervisor, 02:22.679 --> 02:25.970 it's on you to make sure that the subordinates 02:25.970 --> 02:29.020 that you're charged with leading understand their training 02:29.020 --> 02:31.420 requirements to start with. 02:31.420 --> 02:33.450 Then we broaden on how you think 02:33.450 --> 02:36.100 or why I do these things, that's the education piece of it 02:36.100 --> 02:38.800 and then over time you build experience. 02:38.800 --> 02:41.810 Out of those things comes overall readiness. 02:41.810 --> 02:44.020 So it's the time to train, 02:44.020 --> 02:46.250 it's understanding why I train, 02:46.250 --> 02:48.010 the education piece of it, 02:48.010 --> 02:50.260 and then it's the experience of when to apply certain 02:50.260 --> 02:51.300 aspects of that. 02:51.300 --> 02:54.190 That all increases the readiness of the force, 02:54.190 --> 02:57.010 as long as you're ready and have these kind of 02:57.010 --> 02:59.815 three components, you can also focus on building 02:59.815 --> 03:01.790 the resiliency piece of this in there 03:01.790 --> 03:03.950 and it has to be threaded all the way through. 03:03.950 --> 03:06.830 So a resilient force and a ready force, 03:06.830 --> 03:09.390 is ready for any challenge that may come our way 03:09.390 --> 03:12.070 as identified by the national defense strategy. 03:12.070 --> 03:13.940 - Okay sir, thank you for that answer. 03:13.940 --> 03:15.690 General Webb back to you. 03:15.690 --> 03:18.010 As commander of the most combat intensive command 03:18.010 --> 03:20.500 in the Air Force, you're extremely busy. 03:20.500 --> 03:22.440 What advice would you give air man who are trying 03:22.440 --> 03:24.630 to find a work and life balance? 03:24.630 --> 03:28.680 - Yeah well that's a challenge for all special operators, 03:28.680 --> 03:32.350 by any measure when we look at surveys 03:32.350 --> 03:35.193 on any efficacy in AFSOC, 03:36.751 --> 03:39.680 job satisfaction quotient 03:39.680 --> 03:42.760 through the roof, people understand their mission 03:42.760 --> 03:44.570 they understand how they connect to their mission, 03:44.570 --> 03:46.403 they love their job, 03:47.320 --> 03:49.750 but of course work life balance becomes a challenge, 03:49.750 --> 03:52.580 because they want to do work all the time. 03:52.580 --> 03:55.220 So really this becomes a conversation 03:55.220 --> 03:58.110 that we have to have at the leadership level 03:58.110 --> 03:59.980 and that's leadership from the headquarters, 03:59.980 --> 04:01.160 to leadership at the wings, 04:01.160 --> 04:02.441 the groups, the squadrons, 04:02.441 --> 04:05.800 to the front lines supervisory level, 04:05.800 --> 04:07.950 about allowing for that, 04:07.950 --> 04:09.860 back to that kind of white space concept, 04:09.860 --> 04:11.610 you have to be able to unplug, 04:11.610 --> 04:12.730 unplug from your work, 04:12.730 --> 04:16.660 it's part of that fundamental resiliency aspect, 04:16.660 --> 04:17.920 it has to be fundamental 04:18.824 --> 04:21.540 and that is education experience 04:21.540 --> 04:24.220 because leadership generally will want 04:24.220 --> 04:26.960 to keep the throttles up to keep moving. 04:26.960 --> 04:30.840 So it's one that we have to pay attention to all the time, 04:30.840 --> 04:33.136 one that we have to continually balance, 04:33.136 --> 04:35.520 that work life balance aspect, 04:35.520 --> 04:39.193 but it has to be ingrained kind of in the education aspect. 04:40.590 --> 04:43.200 - [Interviewer] Okay, Chief Smith 04:43.200 --> 04:45.750 how can the enlisted force support General Webb's 04:45.750 --> 04:47.133 initiatives for resiliency? 04:48.440 --> 04:49.300 - So in the resiliency line, 04:49.300 --> 04:51.550 it really starts at the individual 04:51.550 --> 04:54.010 or front line supervisor level, 04:54.010 --> 04:56.900 we can have any program and put any degree of funding 04:56.900 --> 05:00.340 toward it, but it only works if we know: 05:00.340 --> 05:05.340 A, who requires assistance or additional attention 05:07.240 --> 05:09.780 and that the initial supervisor level 05:09.780 --> 05:11.160 to the flight chief level, 05:11.160 --> 05:12.930 all the way up to the senior leadership level, 05:12.930 --> 05:15.150 we have to link those pieces together 05:15.150 --> 05:17.370 to make sure that we're looking after each other 05:17.370 --> 05:18.870 and that the members, we're giving the members 05:18.870 --> 05:20.890 the different tools to look after themselves. 05:20.890 --> 05:23.390 So it's really able incorporating the programs 05:23.390 --> 05:25.810 and making sure we're aware of what programs are 05:25.810 --> 05:28.960 and how they apply at the lowest possible level. 05:28.960 --> 05:32.000 - So I'm gonna have a follow-up question for you, sir. 05:32.000 --> 05:34.100 There have been several changes to the enlisted 05:34.100 --> 05:36.842 evaluation process, can you speak to those changes 05:36.842 --> 05:38.940 and what we can expect in the future? 05:38.940 --> 05:41.230 - Absolutely so there have been three 05:41.230 --> 05:42.230 kind of what we would consider, 05:42.230 --> 05:44.800 seismic changes in the enlisted force 05:44.800 --> 05:46.340 or enlisted evaluations system 05:46.340 --> 05:48.100 and how we promote and test 05:48.100 --> 05:50.070 over the last three to four years 05:50.070 --> 05:52.170 and that's caused a lot of confusion 05:52.170 --> 05:54.120 and anxiety amongst the enlisted force 05:54.120 --> 05:56.550 of okay how do we go forward? 05:56.550 --> 05:57.490 So the first is, 05:57.490 --> 06:02.240 we removed our NCO academy and senior NCO academy 06:02.240 --> 06:04.870 correspondence as a factor for promotion 06:04.870 --> 06:08.720 or reenlistment, that actually relieved some of the pressure 06:08.720 --> 06:10.830 on the force to focus on readiness 06:10.830 --> 06:13.570 and their internal requirements. 06:13.570 --> 06:15.800 Secondly, most recently we just removed 06:15.800 --> 06:18.240 a weighted air man promotion testing, 06:18.240 --> 06:20.320 WAPS testing from the Senior NCOS, 06:20.320 --> 06:22.270 so tech sergeant to master, 06:22.270 --> 06:23.920 master to senior master sergeant, 06:23.920 --> 06:25.040 and senior to chief. 06:25.040 --> 06:26.080 And what that did is, 06:26.080 --> 06:27.466 we have enough data points 06:27.466 --> 06:29.860 along an air man's career, 06:29.860 --> 06:31.120 any enlisted air man's career 06:31.120 --> 06:34.160 to know where they're at in their career. 06:34.160 --> 06:35.600 So it really became the focus, 06:35.600 --> 06:36.900 he driving focus on promotion 06:36.900 --> 06:38.610 really became about performance 06:38.610 --> 06:40.870 and that what's met General Goldfiend's intent 06:40.870 --> 06:44.520 about reinvigorating and revitalizing the squadron level. 06:44.520 --> 06:47.210 Squadron leaders are at the best possible point 06:47.210 --> 06:50.890 of observation to observe performance in your primary duty 06:50.890 --> 06:52.870 which is the primary focus. 06:52.870 --> 06:54.120 And then several of the other pieces 06:54.120 --> 06:55.450 with removing time in grade, 06:55.450 --> 06:56.590 time in service, 06:56.590 --> 06:58.440 and removing decoration points, 06:58.440 --> 06:59.620 kind of takes the emphasis 06:59.620 --> 07:00.820 off of those things 07:00.820 --> 07:03.111 and puts everything on primary performance 07:03.111 --> 07:05.440 or performance in your primary duty 07:05.440 --> 07:08.640 as the focus of basis of promotion. 07:08.640 --> 07:09.490 - [Interviewer] Fair enough sir. 07:09.490 --> 07:11.180 Thank you for your answer. 07:11.180 --> 07:12.700 All right so General Webb, 07:12.700 --> 07:14.007 my final question for you. 07:14.007 --> 07:16.465 As you reflect as your time leading AFSOC 07:16.465 --> 07:18.800 and see the growth and accomplishments 07:18.800 --> 07:20.770 during that time, 07:20.770 --> 07:23.360 what are you most proud of here at Cannon? 07:23.360 --> 07:27.060 - I'm most proud of the air commando culture, 07:27.060 --> 07:28.303 the air commando spirit. 07:29.740 --> 07:32.340 Without a doubt, any mission 07:32.340 --> 07:35.770 that is asked of this command 07:35.770 --> 07:39.400 is gonna be accomplished with absolute success. 07:39.400 --> 07:42.150 It starts with an attitude, 07:42.150 --> 07:47.043 it starts with a base line of values 07:48.290 --> 07:51.130 that are inherent across air commandos. 07:51.130 --> 07:53.670 That they form from the Air Force 07:53.670 --> 07:55.600 core values itself. 07:55.600 --> 07:59.220 But then it manifests itself in understanding 07:59.220 --> 08:00.310 that there is a way, 08:00.310 --> 08:01.500 we will find it. 08:01.500 --> 08:03.393 Again but that's values based. 08:04.290 --> 08:06.210 So that plays itself out in combat, 08:06.210 --> 08:08.480 it plays itself out off duty 08:08.480 --> 08:10.900 when an air man sees a need 08:10.900 --> 08:12.680 and responds to it 08:12.680 --> 08:14.935 and it's what I'll particularly take away 08:14.935 --> 08:17.770 from my time here in the command 08:17.770 --> 08:19.809 and that I want to insure that that continues 08:19.809 --> 08:21.970 throughout time. 08:21.970 --> 08:22.803 - All right gentlemen, 08:22.803 --> 08:23.700 thank you so much for joining us, 08:23.700 --> 08:24.900 we appreciate your time.