US STRATCOM commander addresses Global Strike Challenge symposium

by Kate Blais
Air Force Global Strike Command Public Affairs

11/9/2012 - SHREVEPORT, La -  -- The commander of United States Strategic Command (STRATCOM), Offutt AFB, Neb. spoke to competitors and attendees of the third-annual Air Force Global Strike Command Technology and Innovation Symposium at the Shreveport Convention Center Nov. 7.

In his speech, Air Force Gen. C. Robert Kehler gave a brief history lesson to the crowd, tracing the lineage of Global Strike Command and telling Striker Airmen about their heritage and its legacy in Strategic Air Command (SAC).

SAC was unique, serving as both a combatant command and an Air Force major command.

General Kehler likened Air Force Global Strike Command to the descendent of both STRATCOM and SAC.

"I know your parents, so I know, because of your parents, who you are," Kehler said, "and I know what kind of job you can do."

Kehler addressed the best of the best from in the missile, bomber, helicopter, maintenance and security forces fields and highlighted the importance of testing their skills against others.

"Competition makes us better," he said. "It's why we are the global force that we are today. We know that we have to compete to get better, and this is where that all comes together."

According to Kehler, this year the Secretary of Defense published a new strategic document, "Priorities for the 21st Century," and while no command is specifically mentioned, Global Strike and USSTRATCOM play vital roles in the execution of missions described in the document, such as maintaining a safe, secure and effective nuclear deterrent and projecting power despite anti-access and area denial challenges.

"Ours is a mission that every other combatant commander relies on," Kehler said. "From the extreme demands of nuclear deterrent operations to continuous bomber presence to precision strike in global ranges, your contributions are critical."
The general described the complex global security environment of the 21st century and the evolution of deterrence, mentioning that, "today [deterrence] must deal with all strategic threats, not just nuclear threats."

When briefing joint forces, Kehler mentioned that he often shows slides with different views of aircraft and asks his audience to identify each plane. When showing a slide of a B-52, he asked the crowd what, in their opinion, they thought the bomber did.
"Army guys say, 'it provides close air support,' or, 'it got me out of a jam,'" Kehler described. "I have yet to have any audience say, 'that's a nuclear deterrent bomber.' Bombers have 10 years of combat experience and that really shows the true value of air power and significance of the long-range strike platform that this command manages so well."

Global Strike's responsibility to organize, train and equip is vital to USSTRATCOM's ability to perform the mission directly handed down from the President of the United States and the Secretary of Defense, Kehler said.

"STRATCOM provides the deterrent foundation for every other military mission; if someone needs to reach out and touch someone at global distances they turn to STRATCOM," he continued. "I simply pick up the phone for the superbly trained and capable Air Force Global Strike Command, and the end result is that somewhere an enemy of the United States is intimidated or in extreme cases, eliminated, promptly and accurately."

As the "foundation of America's strategic deterrence," Kehler said, "We take this business of deterrence seriously and will not accept anything less than perfection."
"I have no doubt that the men and women of Air Force Global Strike Command will continue to meet the challenges of the future," he said. "After all, I know your parents."