Airmen need to take personal responsibility for the health and reputation of the Air Force through their daily actions, Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz said Tuesday at AFA’s Air & Space Conference. In his featured address, Schwartz noted that reputations are easily tarnished and that “a single lapse reverberates for years.” Therefore, it is absolutely imperative that airmen set the highest personal examples through their daily actions. “In the end, only results matter,” Schwartz said, so airmen will be judged by their ability to meet their commitments and obligations. Airmen should endeavor to promise less and deliver more—and the Chief made clear this applies not just to commanders, but to personnel at all levels.
Seven F-22 Raptor pilots have recently been awarded one of the military’s highest decorations for their actions during operations in the Middle East. Six of the pilots were decorated with the Distinguished Flying Cross for their role in Operation Midnight Hammer, the June 2025 strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities.