Chief of Staff of the Air Force, General Norton Schwartz Visits Elmendorf

(Lieutenant Colonel Linda Richardson is assigned to the 11th Air Forces Judge Advocate at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska.)

Last week I had the opportunity to accompany the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, General Norton Schwartz, and work with his staff in the set up and execution of his Alaska visit. It was an incredible experience; when Public Affairs asked me to write a blog about it, I really did not know where to begin or how to find the right words. The more I thought about it, the more I realized the right words had already been provided in General Schwartz’s speech to the Airmen during Airman’s Call. I do not recall the verbatim quotes, but what I took away from his speech were these concepts: no one person, no one job, is more important than anyone else and we owe it to the American people who place their trust in us to do our absolute best at our jobs, whatever those jobs may be...

It has been my good fortune to see those concepts personified in the planning and coordination of the visit. I was in contact with personnel from four Alaska military installations -- Elmendorf AFB, Eielson AFB, Clear AS and Fort Greely. The itinerary required integrating transportation both on the ground and in the air, using both fixed and rotary wing aircraft. The installations were showcasing both mission accomplishments and “Quality of Life” improvements. Each step of the itinerary required coordination with protocol, security and the individuals conducting tours and briefings at each stop. The planning team ran numerous dry runs to test timing and coordinate movements. Watching it all come together showcased the hard work and dedication of multiple service members with varied backgrounds, each person doing their job to the best of their ability. Highlights included TSgt Fontenot’s smooth handling of traffic flow synchronized with the surrey driver SSgt Hein, perfect as a Swiss watch. AFOSI quietly kept watch on the six, unobtrusive but effective. Medical personnel showing state of the art training simulators and traumatic brain injury recovery programs. The members’ pride was palpable as they showed the dormitories, the Wired Café and the Metals Tech shop. From the young airmen performing FOD checks as the surrey entered the flight line area to the briefings provided by the full Colonels, all evidenced the professionalism and drive to perform at the very best. It was a privilege to witness our Air Force performing its many jobs with a steadfast dedication to excellence.