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SECAF outlines top priorities, future Air Force goals

15 Apr 2004 | Staff Sgt. Elaine Aviles

The Air Force’s top civilian focused on Air Force priorities, the war on terrorism and future goals during a visit here April 14.

“People, of course, are the No. 1 priority,” said Dr. James G. Roche, secretary of the Air Force. “Any organization is only as effective as the people in it. We do a lot of things for our Airmen, not because we’re philanthropic, but because we believe (we) have a dynamic Air Force, we have to invest in our Airmen.”

The first step to ensuring this investment is well spent is to streamline the force.

“We’re 16,000 Airmen in excess,” Secretary Roche said. “After we lifted Stop-Loss, we had a lot of Airmen who didn’t want to leave. We have to re-evaluate our normal annual loss and gain, as well as our bonuses and re-enlistment decisions. That’s smart business. Airmen are a very valuable resource, and one that costs money.”

Secretary Roche said leaders plan on taking the force and reorienting it to a future in air and space.

“To keep the Air Force effective and efficient, we have to look at what the nation will be asking of us 10, 20 [or] 30 years from now, or next week,” he said. “We have to look at our core competencies and what we expect the nation will ask, and stay focused.”

This vision includes taking practical measures now and in the near future, Secretary Roche said. It also includes boosting the role of special operations, developing the potential of warfighting in space and working more closely with ground forces, such as the Soldiers and Marines in Iraq.

This partnership with ground forces is evident here, as base workers help thousands of Soldiers and Airmen supporting operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom transit to and from the battlefield.

“When General [John P.] Jumper, [Air Force chief of staff,] returned from a visit to Incirlik, he told me how excited I’d be when I got here,” Secretary Roche said. “He was exactly right. This effort continues to show our interest and commitment to our counterparts from other military branches.

“We have colleagues on the ground, and if there’s anything we can do to make their lives a little more pleasant, then that’s what we should do,” he said.

The secretary emphasized the importance of staying focused during the ongoing battles in Iraq, which raised in intensity lately in places like Fallujah.

“It’s going to be a long, drawn-out ordeal,” he said. “It’s not going to be won next week or the week after. We have to keep working at it and getting better at it. We must make sure the terrorists can’t put together the critical mass.”

As evidenced by the recent bombings in Madrid, Spain, and Istanbul, Turkey, a small group of people can cause a devastating amount of death and political consequence, Secretary Roche said.

“This is a matter of vigilance over a long period of time,” he said. “We can’t allow terrorists safe haven to plot against us and our allies. I know the Turks feel as we do; this type of behavior has no place in modern society. Let’s stamp this thing out.”

Secretary Roche said he is also intent on also stamping out a more subtle enemy -- sexual assault and harassment.

“We learned a lot from the Air Force Academy,” he said. “We were holding the Air Force up as a model, but we found, during a sampling, that there is room for improvement. That led us to look at every command and every base.”

For example, the Air Force needs to change how it deals with the alleged victim, the secretary said.

“There are systems in place to help the victim during the investigation, but if there’s no crime to prosecute, then we stop,” he said. “But, the victim still has needs, as does the accused. Our whole point is to treat each Airman with dignity; however, if someone does something wrong, there will be consequences.”

As the Air Force continues to evolve and grow, Secretary Roche said Incirlik’s role is an important one.

“What you do is very important,” he said. “If you don’t believe it, come down here next time some Soldiers come through. What you do is meaningful, both here and to people back home.” (Courtesy of U.S. Air Forces in Europe News Service)