CMSAF James Cody led the first “CHIEFchat” session, using new media to communicate with airmen worldwide. Cody answered questions from airmen and their families in the live studio audience during the Nov. 12 event held at Defense Media Activity headquarters in Fort Meade, Md. Airmen at other locations also submitted questions via social media and video messages. Reduction-in-force and readiness issues in the constrained budget environment were at the center of the discussion, according to a Nov. 14 release. “I’m extremely confident that we will be an extremely capable Air Force, capable of doing what our nation needs us to do,” said Cody. He said, however, the service would become smaller in size and there might be some cutback in benefits for airmen and their families. Cody also encouraged airmen to maintain “the human connection” to one another and not rely too heavily on technology, such as social media, to interact. CHIEFchat will be a recurring initiative, aiming to provide airmen with a direct link to the CMSAF, states the release. (Fort Meade report by A1C Alexander Riedel) (Click here for video of the chat session.)
President Donald Trump signed legislation reopening the federal government late Nov. 12, ending the longest shutdown in U.S. history. The move sets the stage for tens of thousands of defense civilians to return to work and guarantees troops will be paid in a few days’ time.
