Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh on Thursday issued the four-page document: A Vision for the United States Air Force. “Focused on ‘airmen, mission, and innovation,’ I believe this short document captures what today’s Air Force is all about and where I think we ought to focus on for tomorrow,” wrote Welsh in a message to airmen, according to a Jan. 10 service release. “We are the greatest air force in the world because of our airmen” from across the Total Force, states the Vision document. “To remain the greatest, we must make our team even stronger,” it adds. The document notes the need to strengthen the Air Force’s five enduring contributions: air and space superiority; intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance; rapid global mobility; global strike; and command and control. The way that airmen execute these missions “must continually evolve,” states the document. It encourages airmen to be innovative. “The person closest to the problem is often the one with the best solution. Leaders should empower airmen to think creatively, find new solutions, and make decisions,” states the document. The Air Force must “safeguard and reinforce” education and training, and “reinvigorate” squadrons, the Air Force’s “fighting core,” it states. (Vision document)
U.S. Air Force F-15C Eagles have roared out of Barnes Air National Guard Base, Mass., for the last time. The 104th Fighter Wing’s last three F-15Cs departed the base Oct. 23 for the “Boneyard” at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., ending the aircraft's era on the frontlines of homeland defense.
