New AMC Commander visits with Team McChord Airmen

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Todd Wivell
  • 62nd Airlift Wing Public Affairs
JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. --  "I am thrilled to be back here at McChord, it is a little like coming home," said Gen. Paul Selva, recently-appointed Air Mobility Command commander and former McChord Air Force Base wing commander. "Most of the commanders and chiefs I see here now were majors and technical sergeants before."

Selva stopped at Joint Base Lewis-McChord Dec. 11, as part of his initial AMC base visit tour which included stops at Travis AFB in California, McChord Field and Fairchild AFB, Wash., that spanned a two-day period.

While at McChord, the General, stopped at one of the hangars for a Team McChord "All Call" in which he discussed his top three priorities and took questions from service members in the crowd.

"To make you successful is my job as your commander," said Selva. "To do so I want to convey my top three priorities to you."

He went on to say that his top priority was the mission and stressed how it was extremely important to who we are.

"We have to be good at our mission," said Selva. "Being good means being the best leaders, best trained and best Airmen this Air Force has ever seen.

"The mission does not happen without all of you but we have to take care of each other to make our mission successful.

Taking care of each other was a perfect transition into the general's next priority and that was caring and respect for each other, both in normal day-to-day activities and also in the workplace.

Selva shared some important facts to include that 20 percent of all active duty women report having been assaulted at one point or another in their career and that more than 5,000 active duty male Airmen in 2009 and 2010 [combined] reported being assaulted by their peers.

"One assault is too many," said Selva. "There are Airmen in our midst who are engaging in some type of inappropriate activity and we cannot let that happen.

"All of you have the right to get respect from your peers and you must 'speak up,' if you know this is going on."

"I am glad you are all getting the mission done," he added. "I understand there is a lot of weight on your leaders and on your shoulders to get it done, but we cannot do so, if we create environments that others find offensive or disrespectful.

"I want all of you to provide feedback to your supervisors, leaders and commanders on this issue. If you are not comfortable starting at your local chain of command, then I am available at any time to assist."

The third and final priority that Selva discussed while visiting with the Team McChord Airmen was training.

"I want to know how well we are training you to do the multitude of jobs you do," said Selva. "I want to ensure you have the tools to train you to be the best Airmen this world has even seen."

He went on to state again that the only way he and other leaders will know if we are getting those tools is if we are providing feedback.

Feedback was the resounding theme throughout each of the general's messages.

"To make your leaders successful and to make you equally successful, we need feedback," stated Selva. "You need to let us know if we are helping you or holding you back and by providing us this feedback will ensure I can keep you ready.

"If we can succeed at these three priorities - mission, caring and respect for each other and training, than I know I have helped you be successful."

Staff Sgt. Gary Woo, 4th Airlift Squadron load master and one of the members in the audience commented on the generals' visit.

"I think it is very important for our general officers to speak directly to the members of their command 'face-to-face,'" said Woo. "It provides a better relay of the strategic vision of the command and how what we do on a daily basis fits in to the greater goal of the Air Force.

"Being stationed at McChord and hearing his perspective on how the mission set may change in the next few years from a focus on Southwest Asia the Pacific was of particular interest to me."

Selva assumed command of AMC Nov. 30. Prior to his selection as the AMC commander, he was Pacific Air Forces vice commander at Joint-Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii.