90th Missile Wing Public Affairs
10/24/2013 - F.E. WARREN AIR FORCE BASE, Wyo. -- Maj. Gen. Jack Weinstein, 20th Air Force commander, addressed Mighty Ninety Airmen and civilians during a commander's call in the Building 1501 Peacekeeper High Bay here, Oct. 22, 2013, sharing his vision for the future of the ICBM mission here and across the wings of his command.
Weinstein opened by stating how proud he was to be back at F.E. Warren, where he was the 90th Operations Group commander from 2003 to 2005, and how proud he is of the ICBM mission and its people.
"What's great about this mission is that 99.9 percent of the time, we do our mission flawlessly, we do it perfectly - we do it every single day," he said. "That's a testament to everyone in this room. The reason we have been so successful, is because everybody who wears this uniform is a leader - every single person."
In an effort to address recent issues throughout Air Force Global Strike Command, Weinstein called for a renewed focus, standardization of policies and mentoring newer generations of Airmen.
"We need to standardize across the board," Weinstein said. "First, we need to standardize ICBM operations across the wings, follow standard Air Force processes, and lastly, mentor our replacements."
Adhering to guidelines and standards are part of the Air Force, and Weinstein said they must also continue to discover new ideas and refine processes.
"We will do innovation as a team," he said. "If there is a better way of doing things, suggested at even the lowest levels, I need to know about it, and we will look at implementation across 20th Air Force."
Weinstein discussed recent budget cuts, and downsizing the Air Force has undergone lately, and believes the Air Force's most valuable asset, its people, will carry the ICBM mission forward successfully. Weinstein also credited the civilian workforce as a critical part of mission success.
"Our civilians are the continuity, the experts," he said. "They are absolutely critical to the success of our mission, and hopefully the issues with furloughs and sequestration are behind us and will never happen again."
Moving forward, Weinstein called upon everyone to mentor one another, sharing job knowledge with peers and colleagues to prepare eventual replacements. Mentorship in the military is a responsibility that typically falls on the shoulders of a seasoned non commissioned officer or an individual who has 'been there' before. Weinstein believes it is everyone's responsibility, from top to bottom.
"As leaders, we need to produce the next generation of Airmen," he said. "Everyone is a leader. To the most junior Airmen, everybody is a leader. We need to mentor everyone who works with us."
As he closed, Weinstein discussed several social issues the Air Force has experienced recently. Varying from discrimination to sexual assault, Weinstein believes all problems can be solved through leadership and by harnessing the diverse views of the entire force.
"What makes America so great is our diversity and all the different views we bring to the table," he said. "Only by developing a culture of respect will we eradicate such issues."
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