PACAF commander visits JBER Airmen, families

by Staff Sgt. Wes Wright
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson Public Affairs

12/3/2014 - JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska -- Gen. Lori Robinson, Pacific Air Forces commander, visited Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, Dec. 2-3 to gain a better understanding of unit readiness and base capabilities and services while interacting with Airmen face-to-face.

While here, Robinson hosted an all-call with hundreds of JBER Airmen and Soldiers, where she introduced herself and outlined her priorities, which included taking care of Airmen and prioritizing efforts on the PACAF lines of operation.

"My first priority is taking care of Airmen and their families," Robinson said. "To me, that is huge. That is our nation's asymmetric advantage because of our national treasure of our Airmen and their families deployed throughout the world."

In focusing on PACAF lines of operation, the general pointed out that it was important for Airmen at all levels to give feedback to their chain of command to ensure maximum job impact to the mission. PACAF's lines of operation are: Theater Security Cooperation, Integrated Air and Missile Defense/Resiliency; Power Projection Agile, Flexible Command and Control; and Resilient Airmen.

"I can stand up here and talk all I want, but what we need to make sure we get is feedback, especially in these constrained times," Robinson said. "If something you're doing does not directly contribute to a line of operation, then tell somebody about it. Make sure leadership knows."

Overall, the general stated PACAF mission and goals will not change significantly.

"The mission, vision and goals -- I can tell you those aren't going to change," Robinson said. "We might tweak a little on the edges but the clear, unambiguous guidance is not going to change: It's the same with the PACAF strategy. Everything you're doing each and every day that relates to the lines of operations, keep doing it. It's important to keep doing what you're doing because what you're doing is incredibly successful."

Robinson also spoke to the importance of readiness to continued mission success across PACAF.

"We can have a force that's postured, but if we don't have a ready force, then when it's called upon, it won't be able to do the things asked of it. I expect you to be ready to fight tonight," Robinson said. "Whether it's flying, maintaining, wherever that is, that is important. What's also important is that you're mentally, physically and spiritually ready to fight tonight. Comprehensive Airmen Fitness and your ability to take care of yourself are hugely important."

Developing new leaders is also high on the general's priority list.

"To me, one of the most important things is making sure I find and develop new leaders. If I learned anything over my 33 years of being in our Air Force, it is that it's about being a part of something bigger than yourself. It's about understanding that it's not about me and it's not about you. It's about what we do and how we do it."

Robinson stressed leadership as key to one of her other priorities: fostering a climate of dignity and respect.

"In that leadership vein, the environment that your commanders set, and I set and I create is the most important thing in this leadership development idea," Robinson said. "I think the environment needs to be healthy where we all understand the rules and regulations. Each and every one of us needs to create an environment of dignity and respect."

The general lauded JBER's efforts to foster that type of environment.

"The things you're doing with sexual assault -- those small, group-to-group conversations you're having, you're being incredibly blunt and candid -- and that's huge," Robinson said. "It's a tribute to all of you wanting to create a better environment and create a better culture of dignity and respect."

Robinson was also impressed with how JBER's Airmen persevere despite the austere conditions, as her arrival coincided with Anchorage's first significant snow accumulation of the season.

"One of the things that really struck me this morning as I was looking out at the snow is, 'Wow! How do each of you embrace that arctic warrior culture?"' the general said. "You think about things differently here. If you're on the east coast, everybody races home to hunker down. [Here at JBER] now, the skis and snowboards can come out; all those things you do, you embrace it. When you embrace the culture like that, you embrace the arctic warrior spirit. It's a real tribute to the team and leadership here."

Airman 1st Class Kurt Lantz, 673d Contracting Squadron unit program coordinator, was one of JBER's Airmen in attendance and said he was impressed with the new PACAF commander's ability to connect with Airmen.

"I felt like she was very down to earth," Lantz said. "I felt she was genuine. She talked about family and that's important. It meant a lot. I felt her coming from an Air Force family, she's seen the sacrifices that have been made. She's definitely well in tune with the culture, the way the force has been growing, and where it's going."