JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii –
Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James Cody visited with Airmen and hosted
separate all-calls with junior and senior enlisted Airmen during his visit here
Jan. 15-16.
Cody's discussion-style all-calls allowed for Airmen to
openly express their career concerns or opinions.
"I liked how he made it
a priority to come and talk to the bottom tier of the enlisted force," said
Airman 1st Class Sarai Crook, 15th Comptroller Squadron. "It made him
approachable for Airmen like me to communicate with him. It wasn't just a 'Q and
A', it was a discussion."
A major topic Cody addressed during his
discussions was the implementation of the new enlisted performance report
process, which he said will take time and effort to get right.
"These are
big changes that require some real work by leadership and by you all in order
for us to get our heads around why we're going in the direction we're going,"
Cody said. "We'll learn along the way ... and we'll make adjustments on
execution. I think we're getting after everything that our Airmen are telling
us, so I ask you to look at [the process] in its entirety; look at the end
state, and work with us to get where we need to be."
Other topics
addressed included concerns with joint basing, retention challenges in critical
career fields, and the Air Force's ongoing plan to combat sexual
assaults.
"[Sexual assault] is a big problem and it's a problem we will
have to work at forever," Cody said. "We have to look out for each other and
treat each other with dignity and respect."
Joining Cody on his visit was
his wife, Chief Master Sgt. (ret) Athena Cody, Chief Master Sgt. Sandra Pfeffer,
the first sergeant special duty career field manager, and Senior Airman Ariful
Haque, one of the 12 Outstanding Airmen of 2014.
Cody thanked JBPHH
Airmen for what they do, and reminded them of the important role they play in
the Air Force.
"We are significantly engaged globally, more today than in
the history of our country," Cody said. "We're in the longest sustained combat
operations and we are the smallest Air Force since 1947. That's your legacy. You
serve in a time in our Air Force and our country that is unprecedented because
it's being done with an all-volunteer force. You should be proud of that, and
you should be proud that you are shaping our future. It's important to know how
much we appreciate you and your families so thanks for what you do."