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"I very much value the opportunity to interact with you here. The country needs good people to do the work that we do. I salute the folks that spent time with me here today." - Gen Norton Schwartz
*RP Staff will be moderating this discussion
*Post your questions below
From RP Staff: General Norton Schwartz has been a RallyPoint supporter from the get-go. We are honored to have him on our board of advisors. This coming Monday, June 8, 2015 at 11:00am EST, General Schwartz will be visiting us on RallyPoint for a live Question and Answer session. Post your questions below!
Topics General Schwartz is interested in discussing include:
- The role of the F-35
- A-10 controversy
- Air Force culture and needed change
- The future of the military retirement system
- The status of remotely piloted aircraft operators
*RP Staff will be moderating this discussion
*Post your questions below
From RP Staff: General Norton Schwartz has been a RallyPoint supporter from the get-go. We are honored to have him on our board of advisors. This coming Monday, June 8, 2015 at 11:00am EST, General Schwartz will be visiting us on RallyPoint for a live Question and Answer session. Post your questions below!
Topics General Schwartz is interested in discussing include:
- The role of the F-35
- A-10 controversy
- Air Force culture and needed change
- The future of the military retirement system
- The status of remotely piloted aircraft operators
Air Force
Air Force Reserve
Leadership
Posted 9 y ago
Responses: 53
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Why does the Air Force/DOD say they take Suicide awarness seriously yet med board anybody who takes medcine/gets counsoling for depression.
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PO1 Frank Bogus-Osborn
Because they want the VA to be responsible. I was Med boarded out of the Navy after serving Active Duty for 19 years 4 months and for16 days thought 13 years of Sea Duty and 8 deployments and 7 Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals not counting the other 5 rows of decorations and awards BECAUSE I HAD DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY.
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Gen Norton Schwartz
There are times when health issues involving medication, including behavioral concerns, are not compatible with the demands of many jobs: the nuclear mission, a brain surgeon or a security forces member for example. Longer-term health issues that render a military member unable to perform his or her job is what the board process is designed to address. In my experience, its not happy work for those responsible.
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TSgt Thomas Monaghan
I understand times but I was a client systems Admin and I was honest that I took 20 mg/day depression meds. I am in Law Enforcement and it not an issue for them. I understand the 3 missions you sited, but the truth is they use it to get rid of people who are near retirement. After I told the flight Doctor I was immediately made non world wide deployable and the process for a med board was started, luckily I hit my 20 Satisfactory years and retired. IF not I would have been med boarded out of the USAF. In closing my main job during this time was setting up email account and fixing/setting up desktops/laptops. So once again the USAF is just political mishmash to convince the public they are trying to address the issue,when in reality they are not. Thanks for your attention I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this response.
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Sir, what's it like to sit around a meeting table from the President and the other branch chiefs, and what do you miss most about that period of your life?
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How do we better posture our personnel to deal with the advances in technology at the same time as we educate them on the responsibilities and ethics of using emerging capabilities? For example, we've seen difficulties in handling the impact of social media on the chain of command, as well as in the use of remotely piloted aircraft for projecting air power throughout the globe. The future is coming at us at a speed faster than it was yesterday, and we as a service often struggle to keep up. As a major component of Air Force cultural evolution, maintaining a technological advantage over our adversaries is core to our responsibilities as the world's premiere air power. How do we do it and ensure our people also maintain the proper mindset at the same time?
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Gen Norton Schwartz, First thank you for taking the time to come and engage with the RallyPoint Community!
I would like to ask a question regarding Air Force Culture. During your tenure as the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, you introduced AFI 1-1 Air Force Standards. Look back over the last 3 years, has this document made the impact you intended it to have? What changes, if any, would you wish to see made bring Air Force Culture in to a more static state and do you think documents like AFI 1-1 help foster that?
I would like to ask a question regarding Air Force Culture. During your tenure as the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, you introduced AFI 1-1 Air Force Standards. Look back over the last 3 years, has this document made the impact you intended it to have? What changes, if any, would you wish to see made bring Air Force Culture in to a more static state and do you think documents like AFI 1-1 help foster that?
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Good Afternoon, I would have to ask; why after all the years of discussing whether enlisted pilots could fly certain aircraft when there were a shortage of pilots, knowing other services have proven that enlisted pilots could do it IE...flying remote aircraft. Why is the Air Force seriously looking at it now. You don't need a college education to be able to fly a aircraft only the proper training. I think that remotely piloted aircraft and helicopters are good examples that certain enlisted could fly and excel at it. Your thoughts
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Gen Norton Schwartz
The issue of who flies AF combat aircraft has largely been a question of who has the maturity, skill and judgment necessary to properly employ and air deliver lethal weapons in combat. I understand Gen Welsh is look at this issue now in the remotely piloted aircraft discipline. Clearly, if successful, enlisted aviators in the RPA business could have broader applicability in other weapon systems.
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Capt (Join to see)
I could be mistaken, but I believe the original justification for officers to be aviators, was to give them better Geneva Convention status, in the event of becoming a prisoner. My guess for the recent reconsideration, is because of UAV technology development eliminated prisoner possibility.
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MSgt Brian Wagner
You meanto tell me that a 2d Lt has more maturity, skill and judgement than a Non Commissioned Officer?
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General Schwartz
Sir, How do you see the AF culture between active duty and reserve personnel? Do you think the increase of reserve personnel in the AOR has helped diffuse the perceived gap that AD perform "better" than reservists?
Thank you, Sir!
Sir, How do you see the AF culture between active duty and reserve personnel? Do you think the increase of reserve personnel in the AOR has helped diffuse the perceived gap that AD perform "better" than reservists?
Thank you, Sir!
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Why the Air Force encourges people to be honest on the health assements and when someone admits to going to consoling the Air Force Med boards. Doesn't that encourage peopleto be less than honest, hence the suicide problem.
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Gen Norton Schwartz
Yes, the potential for separation is something that might discourage Airmen from seeking help...but this is why friends, family and colleagues are essential to balance concerns for service longevity with the imperative to seek needed care.
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Good morning sir! Thank you for joining us this morning.
I was reading in Air Force times about the problem of maintaining qualified UAV pilots. Is it maybe about time the Air Force look into the possibility of the Warrant Officer rank. Also this could help the senior enlisted ranks by removing the stress of being so technical and able to concentrate more on command like the other branches. I also believe it is great to see the AF changing their PT standards to more emulate a fit military force. IMHO the AF is in great need of a little culture change to become more like a military unit then a business. There are concepts that the Army and Marine Corps use that may seem unnecessary to many in the AF but they do accomplish cohesion within the unit. Don't get me wrong, the Air Force does its job and does it well. But a little more structure and discipline like our spec-ops folks wouldn't hurt.
Thank you again for taking the time to talk with us sir.
I was reading in Air Force times about the problem of maintaining qualified UAV pilots. Is it maybe about time the Air Force look into the possibility of the Warrant Officer rank. Also this could help the senior enlisted ranks by removing the stress of being so technical and able to concentrate more on command like the other branches. I also believe it is great to see the AF changing their PT standards to more emulate a fit military force. IMHO the AF is in great need of a little culture change to become more like a military unit then a business. There are concepts that the Army and Marine Corps use that may seem unnecessary to many in the AF but they do accomplish cohesion within the unit. Don't get me wrong, the Air Force does its job and does it well. But a little more structure and discipline like our spec-ops folks wouldn't hurt.
Thank you again for taking the time to talk with us sir.
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Gen Norton Schwartz
There is merit in your argument. I'll be interested to see how Gen Welsh's consideration of enlisted airmen in the RPA community proceeds.
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Sir, in your personal estimation, what is the greatest detractor to military service recruitment in the USAF currently - considering impact upon our "all-volunteer" current recruitment system strategy and challenges related to the decline in domestic nationalism?
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Gen Norton Schwartz
Actually, our recruiting has been on a fairly sustainable path. The AF has been consistently successful in accessing the needed number of entry level Airmen. But, the pool of eligible recruits is diminishing. Now, only about 25% of a cohort is eligible for military service because of diploma, law enforcement or other issues. That is why there is merit in the discussion about national...not just military...service.
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As it relates to our AF culture, my perception of our AF leadership is one of "self-promotion". By that I mean, many Senior AF officers are infinitely more concerned about their next promotion before the mission or their people. How does a mid-level officer influence/change that culture?
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Gen Norton Schwartz
I agree self-promotion is a problem...but not one that is exclusive to the AF or the Armed Services. Each of use lives in a "bubble". We can influence others within that bubble. You are a supervisor...that is your bubble. Emphasize servant leadership and commitment to your friends, colleagues and subordinates. Change occurs one Airmen at a time.
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