AMC wing commanders, chiefs gather for first CAF conference

Published Feb. 3, 2011
By Master Sgt. Scott T. Sturkol
Air Mobility Command Public Affairs

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- Wing commanders and command chief master sergeants took part in a one-day, first-of-its-kind, Air Mobility Command-wide conference on Comprehensive Airman Fitness here Jan. 24.

The conference, anchored by AMC's Manpower, Personnel and Services Directorate, or AMC/A1, provided a direct face-to-face meeting for AMC wing-level leaders to share ideas and direction on building on the Comprehensive Airman Fitness culture.

The Comprehensive Airman Fitness, or CAF, culture began in AMC in July 2010 with the goal of helping "Airmen, Air Force civilians and family members become more resilient and better-equipped to deal with the rigors of military life."

CAF is a methodology that allows AMC to focus its efforts to take care of Airmen and their families, providing for their physical, mental, spiritual and social fitness, officials said. The intent is to create and sustain communities on AMC installations that give Airmen and their families a sense of belonging to the Air Force community, in which they live, work, and play. This conference was intended to build on that intent.

"We want to build resilient Airmen and foster a sense of purpose and belonging for both Airmen and their families. Additionally, we hope this summit helps to shape the way ahead to include a sustained, systematic and standardized approach to creating an enduring culture of wellness," said Chief Master Sgt. David Spector, AMC Command Chief Master Sergeant, during the conference.

The conference included an opening framework discussion from AMC/A1's Mr. Frank Jones and Lt. Col. Kate Russel. They outlined goals and the focus on Airman resiliency, but also highlighted some future changes for the CAF culture.

Included in those changes will be a dedicated CAF/resiliency coordinator at the AMC-level as well as dedicated coordinators at the base level. Also, a new 2011 survey to gather data for CAF initiatives will be accomplished in upcoming months.

In directing the reason for the conference, however, Mr. Jones told the conference attendees, "The intent of today is for all of you to get together and help us."

Conference speakers further defined how the conference could help not only build, but also further progress the CAF culture within AMC as well as the Air Force. They noted how the "environment has changed" from the Air Force of 30 years ago or even 10 or 20 years ago. In turn, they showed how the Airmen serving in today's Air Force have different motivators and lifestyles. The effort was aimed at helping the attendees further define who they want to serve in their communities, what they want to do and what they need to do it, what they already have in place, and what training, programs and sustainability they have to make improvements.

The conference also addressed the need for focusing on Airmen, their families and the overall Air Force community -- especially at the base level. Unanimously, the conference attendees agreed to further build on improving their base communities in whatever ways they can.

"It was an honor to host this important conference at the 'Showcase Wing,'" said Col. Michael Hornitschek, 375th Air Mobility Wing Commander at Scott AFB, who with Col. Donald Shaffer, 319th Air Refueling Wing Commander at Grand Forks AFB, N.D., took the lead on the conference agenda and discussion. "This conference helped to further strengthen our CAF culture that includes taking care of Airmen, civilians and family members so they can take care of the mission and each other.

"As leaders, we want people to know that AMC cares about you and your families," Colonel Hornitschek said. "We also want you to know the more resilient you are, the better equipped you are to deal with the rigors of military life. We don't want to just survive through challenging times -- we want to thrive."

Throughout the day, the conference attendees held break-out sessions where they looked at the definition for a resilient Airman and discussed effective CAF and resiliency initiatives. They also mapped out areas where they could build resiliency in their communities and "build a plan for the way ahead."

"This is a culture that we are continuing to build on at Travis," said Col. James Vechery, 60th Air Mobility Wing Commander at Travis AFB, Calif., while addressing the conference audience. "We learned a lot during the initiatives for the Year of the Air Force Family and we've continued to build on that momentum for CAF. We've had many success stories, but there is still more to do and I'm glad we are meeting here to discuss this as senior leaders."

Ideas and recommendations from the conference will continue to built upon through AMC/A1 and related support agencies at AMC and, base-level leaders will look to implement and bolster their CAF culture, officials said.

"Through this effort, we can build a community for each other that each one of us want to be a part of now, and years from now," said Gen. Raymond E. Johns Jr., AMC Commander.