AMC Commander speaks to Warriors of the North

by Staff Sgt. David Dobrydney
319th Air Base Wing Public Affairs

2/13/2014 - GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- Gen. Paul J. Selva, commander of Air Mobility Command, his wife, Ricki, and Command Chief Master Sgt. Victoria Gamble arrived here Feb. 11 for a two-day glimpse at what the 319th Air Base Wing Warriors of the North bring to the fight.

The visitors toured the entire installation and spoke with Airmen, their spouses, and their leadership.

An important topic Selva spoke about was the current initiatives designed to "right-size" the Air Force.

"Be interested in these initiatives," Selva said to a gathering of squadron and group commanders, as he counseled them to ensure three things: Airmen under them are bringing their best performance every day, that performance is documented, and individuals know to keep their records up to date.

Selva said that Grand Forks is serving an important function in the remotely piloted aircraft field as support for the 69th Reconnaissance Group, currently flying the Block 40 Global Hawk in support of two combatant commands.

"You are here because there is a mission here," he said. "You should never feel like caretakers."

During an all call with 319th ABW personnel, Selva also spoke about his three priorities: mission, dignity and respect, and training. Providing those three things is "fundamentally why we're here," Selva said to the leaders in the audience.

When the floor opened to questions, Airmen asked about the future of RPA operator assignments, the possibility of an unmanned tanker, and the upcoming changes to the Enlisted Performance Report.

Gamble fielded the latter query, describing how the new system will move away from a numeric rating and toward a narrative description.

"We need this change," Gamble said, "and we need all of you to commit to making this right so we aren't retooling it again twenty years down the road."

During the visit, Selva and Gamble toured the 319th Medical Group, where Airmen showcased their disaster response capabilities, the High Frequency Global Communications System, the air traffic control tower and other locations. They also visited an innovation expo, where Airmen explained how the "Team Grand Forks" focus on innovation enables the exploitation for Global Vigilance, Global Reach and Global Power.

Selva reiterated to the wing the importance of Grand Forks Air Force Base and the professionalism of its personnel.

"I'm incredibly impressed by what I've seen," Selva said.

"You've shown that snow and cold and remote locations don't stop Airmen from being excellent."