Minot Air Force Base Public Affairs
6/18/2013 - MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, paid his first visit to the Air Force's only dual-nuclear capable base, June 17.
The main focus of his trip here was to hear directly from Airmen and families, including local community leaders, about issues affecting Team Minot. The chairman led a town hall forum where he had the opportunity to address all.
Dempsey expressed the importance of letting those at Minot know how critical their role as nuclear stewards is to not only him as chairman of the joint chiefs, but to the country as well.
"I want to make it clear that we are all contributing to the security of the U.S.," Dempsey said of all Team Minot members. It has been a goal of his to instill in all military members the concept of a unified joint team effort between all branches of service.
As part of his stay he also had the opportunity to learn firsthand about the day-to-day operations of Minot's strategic deterrence mission.
Meeting with commanders and leaders of both the base's bomber and intercontinental ballistic missile forces, he learned of the work dedication of Minot's Airmen under even the toughest of winter climates.
Accompanied by Col. Robert Vercher, 91st Missile Wing commander, Dempsey toured one of the wing's missile alert facilities, all located across the northwest part of North Dakota. There he met with missile combat crew members to personally see the work they conduct in watching over missile sites 24/7 from their underground capsules.
While recent fiscal challenges facing the country have placed the defense budget on the chopping block, he reassured Team Minot that the Secretary of Defense is committed to prioritizing funds in the nuclear triad mission.
"As our country faces a historic fiscal correction, we are not going to put our nation at risk," stated Dempsey. "Our number one priority is to defend our nation."
Concerns of the sequestration's effect on military readiness have continued to be a central topic of discussion for DOD personnel, as the department's 800,000 civilian employees await the beginning of furloughs in July.
"We must stay positive," said the chairman. "This isn't the first time we've gone through this (fiscal correction)."
Dempsey said it has been with great reluctance to have to accept and move forward with across the board cuts, but looked to history as a way of reassuring all that we have gotten through tough fiscal times before and that, "we will get through it."
The chairman also took time to speak candidly on sexual assault, an issue that has sparked a national conversation about a systemic problem.
It is an issue that has sparked a national conversation about a systemic problem the chairman calls a failure.
"We can't tolerate a climate of lewdness, innuendos, of harassment, because it's that climate that eventually leads to the failure that is sexual assault," stated Dempsey.
He added the recent scandals have reminded service members that it's still an issue which must be faced. It is a problem he believes can be fixed with good leadership by ensuring all, throughout the ranks, not put up with bad conduct.
Ultimately, he asked all service members to take a hard look at how they wanted their profession to be perceived as.
"Don't tolerate it," he expressed. "We can fix this through those who lead."
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