by Staff Sgt. Alexander Martinez
15th Wing Public Affairs
1/20/2015 - JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii -- Chief
Master Sgt. of the Air Force James Cody visited with Airmen and hosted
separate all-calls with junior and senior enlisted Airmen during his
visit here Jan. 15-16.
Cody's discussion-style all-calls allowed for Airmen to openly express their career concerns or opinions.
"I liked how he made it a priority to come and talk to the bottom tier
of the enlisted force," said Airman 1st Class Sarai Crook, 15th
Comptroller Squadron. "It made him approachable for Airmen like me to
communicate with him. It wasn't just a 'Q and A', it was a discussion."
A major topic Cody addressed during his discussions was the
implementation of the new enlisted performance report process, which he
said will take time and effort to get right.
"These are big changes that require some real work by leadership and by
you all in order for us to get our heads around why we're going in the
direction we're going," Cody said. "We'll learn along the way ... and
we'll make adjustments on execution. I think we're getting after
everything that our Airmen are telling us, so I ask you to look at [the
process] in its entirety; look at the end state, and work with us to get
where we need to be."
Other topics addressed included concerns with joint basing, retention
challenges in critical career fields, and the Air Force's ongoing plan
to combat sexual assaults.
"[Sexual assault] is a big problem and it's a problem we will have to
work at forever," Cody said. "We have to look out for each other and
treat each other with dignity and respect."
Joining Cody on his visit was his wife, Chief Master Sgt. (ret) Athena
Cody, Chief Master Sgt. Sandra Pfeffer, the first sergeant special duty
career field manager, and Senior Airman Ariful Haque, one of the 12
Outstanding Airmen of 2014.
Cody thanked JBPHH Airmen for what they do, and reminded them of the important role they play in the Air Force.
"We are significantly engaged globally, more today than in the history
of our country," Cody said. "We're in the longest sustained combat
operations and we are the smallest Air Force since 1947. That's your
legacy. You serve in a time in our Air Force and our country that is
unprecedented because it's being done with an all-volunteer force. You
should be proud of that, and you should be proud that you are shaping
our future. It's important to know how much we appreciate you and your
families so thanks for what you do."
Tuesday, January 20, 2015
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