Senior enlisted set course for air forces throughout Pacific Region

  • Published
  • By Maj. Jillian Torango
  • 13th Air Force Public Affairs
JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, HI --  Senior enlisted leaders from air forces throughout the Pacific Region came together to learn from one another in order to improve their nations' enlisted corps at the Senior Enlisted Leadership Conference held in conjunction with the Pacific Rim (PACRIM) Airpower Symposium, 6 to 9 September in Brisbane, Australia.

Co-hosted this year by the U.S. and Royal Australian Air Forces, the 2011 Senior Enlisted Conference focused on setting the standard for enlisted corps' region-wide with three main focus areas of cooperative engagement opportunities, use of social media, and how do senior enlisted personnel help lead the change to become more efficient and effective forces.

"This was a very positive gathering. We have the United States Air Force with our size down to air forces with only 45 personnel and one aircraft...but no matter the size, we all have the same issues," said CMSgt. Brooke P. McLean, Pacific Air Forces Command Chief Master Sergeant. "We're all trying to be the most ready, capable force we can be and we all need to be learning from each other."

According to John "J.J." Millar, Warrant Officer of the Air Force (WOFF-AF), Royal Australian Air Force, the group of senior enlisted leaders created a document that will help them set basic standards throughout the region.

"We came up with the Compact which is an agreement for a core basic standard of where our enlisted forces should be," said WOFF-AF Millar. "Not all of our air forces have the same standard or expectations, and now with this Compact we have a shared standard for all of our air forces' enlisted corps."

The Compact is not an all-encompassing document, and in the years to come it can be added to or updated as necessary.

"The document is a launching point for building foundations," said WOFF-AF Millar. "And the three main focuses of this week's conference are just building blocks for building the best air forces we can for the future."

The group agreed that engagement opportunities are key to be able to let airmen learn and understand not only about each others' air forces but about themselves as well.

"We need to not only have critical forums such as this, but we also need to join together whenever possible for professional development," said WOFF-AF Millar. "Quite a lot of the Pacific air forces have the ability for international students to attend their schools and we should try whenever possible to leverage those opportunities."

Communication and the ever-growing use of social media were also identified as critical factors in building continued strong future forces.

While there are always critical views of social media programs and consequences for misuse, there are positives which can come out of the proper use of the medium.

"Social media has brought the world together," said WOFF-AF Millar. "If we can continue our group's interaction utilizing restricted social media options, it will allow us to continuously move forward and keep progressing to make our future engagements as meaningful as possible."

What WOFF-AF Millar meant by meaningful was that if the different senior enlisted leaders continue to interact with one another throughout the year, they will have a solid knowledge of each other's issues and possible outcomes or solutions to problems.

"We all agreed that that is how we need to communicate," said WOFF-AF Millar. "We need to learn from each others' experiences so we don't have to continuously reinvent the wheel."

The final focus area for the conference builds on that idea of communication--How do senior enlisted personnel help lead the change to become more efficient and effective forces?

Leading and embracing change by example communicates our willingness to be part of the team and support for our forces' overall missions and objectives.

"As senior enlisted leaders we have to embrace the change," said CMSgt McLean. "If the junior enlisted personnel don't see us embrace change then they certainly won't take ownership in what is becoming our new culture."

The Compact is built with a basic foundation of the air forces' core values. "If we just stand by our air forces' core values, then leading the change should be easy," said WOFF-AF Millar.

Each one of the Pacific Rim air forces has a set of core values which are set and unchanging and CMSgt McLean thinks that is why it is important for the compact to be a fluid document.

"Even though the Compact is a snapshot in time, this is a living document that can change as our requirements change," said CMSgt McLean. "We will take it back to our home air forces and sister services and develop a dialogue because no matter the country or the service, we're all looking at the same issues. We now have a solid direction--something we'll stand behind."

Last year, the Republic of Singapore Air Force hosted the event in Singapore and next year, the 13th Air Force will work with the Japan Air Self Defense Air Force to plan the conference which will be held in Japan.