9/16/2013 - F.E. WARREN AIR FORCE BASE, Wyo. -- Airmen from 20th Air Force briefed Air Force leadership Sept. 4 in Washington, D.C., on the mission, the people, the history and the way-ahead of the Department of Defense's only immediate response nuclear alert force.
Maj. Gen. Michael Carey, 20th AF commander, brought a small team of experts from the 341st Missile Wing, Malmstrom Air Force Base, Mont.; 91st MW, Minot Air Force Base, N.D.; and 90th MW, F.E. Warren AFB, Wyo., to showcase their efforts, as they are the Airmen who work in direct support of the Minuteman III weapon system.
Carey provided an update to the Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III, regarding a "quick look" study on the ICBM force and unveiled his "Professional Actions" campaign to mitigate stressors on America's the ICBM team.
The Air Force Chief of Staff continues to be a solid supporter of the nuclear mission and enhancing its effectiveness, Carey said.
"He has personally reviewed proposals to implement new forms of recognition, and is considering Air Force policy changes that underscore his commitment to 20th Air Force Airmen and the significance of our mission," he said.
New recognition programs include the ICBM Operations Support Ribbon and making wear of the missile operations badge mandatory.
Carey's first focus in the ProAct campaign was to improve the ability to provide Airmen a predictive schedule so they can have a professionally and personally balanced lifestyle.
This is essentially applying the lessons learned from Air Expeditionary Force rotations about the value of adding predictability to Airmen's lives, the general said.
"Predictable schedules will reduce stress on missile field deployers, main support base personnel and families across the force," he said.
Leadership throughout 20th AF is pursuing modernization of the launch control centers; catching up on backlogged maintenance; improving situational awareness and command and control capabilities for convoy forces; professional development for missile field chefs; and more accurate manpower models for units, such as the logistics readiness squadrons, missile maintenance squadrons and missile squadrons.
Staff Sgt. Gary Murley, 90th Missile Maintenance Squadron team chief, was one of the four Airmen invited to attend the Pentagon briefing.
"The trip to Washington was an awesome experience," Murley said. "The most memorable moment for me was getting to be an active participant in a briefing and discussion with the [Air Force Chief of Staff], Maj. Gen. Carey, and other top leaders of our Air Force. [It] was a valuable learning experience for me that I won't forget."
Murley said the people of 20th AF know what the challenges are to a tough and demanding mission, but said everyone works as a team and there's a high-level of job satisfaction when tasks are accomplished each day.
"We know and understand what it takes to accomplish the mission, not only from our professional life, but from our personal lives as well," he said. "Missile maintenance is the backbone of the ICBM world. Our mission is to deter the enemies of this nation and the enemies of our allies. [We] contribute directly to our national security. Our job is extremely important -- not only here at home, but worldwide as well."
Airmen throughout the command are encouraged to talk to their supervisors and leadership about ideas to improve job performance or quality-of-life initiatives, as every Airman has a story and every leader needs to know those stories, Carey said.
"Active leaders know their Airmen's talents and experiences, promote a culture of responsible actions, and develop ready, resilient and reliable Airmen," the commander said. "The Airman culture and heritage is steeped in creativity, innovation and the ability to see problems from different angles -- Airmen go over obstacles -- not through them."
The other 20 AF team members who attend the Pentagon briefing were:
Capt. AJ Varatharaj, 91st MW missile combat crew commander; Staff Sgt. Walter Bernardo, 91st MW flight security controller; and Senior Airman Kyle Murphy, 341st MW missile chef.
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