Category: Military

This change is intended to ensure the service has enough officers with the ability to understand and integrate airpower in key leadership roles to meet the strategic and pacing challenges facing our nation. 

As a result, for IDE attendees, 60 percent of the top third of officers selected from each career field from the Developmental Education Designation Board will attend Air Command and Staff College in residence, and for SDE attendees, approximately 33 percent of the top third of officers selected from each career field will attend Air War College in residence. 

“To ensure deep airpower expertise is available to joint commands, it is essential we send officers with diverse professional backgrounds and experiences, and with the potential to be senior leaders in our Air Force, to our own in-residence programs,” said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. C.Q. Brown, Jr. in a memo. 

The number of billets for DAF officers at joint and sister service schools will remain the same, but the new policy will allow the service to place greater emphasis on airpower schools.  

The directorate of manpower and personnel will track the number of officers by career field who decline to attend Air University schools. Those statistics will be part of an annual report to the Chief of Staff of the Air Force. 

“It is imperative that our leaders of tomorrow are rooted in Air Force doctrine so they may leverage airpower to achieve national security objectives and align with the Joint Chiefs of Staff vision and guidance,” Brown said. 

Recognizing that quality of life is important to members and their families, the service has worked with local leaders in the Maxwell Air Force Base community to improve several school issues. A pilot program will allow off-base members to send children to on-base Department of Defense Education Activity K-8 schools. Additionally, an initiative to support out-of-zone school enrollment is underway. 

For more information on Air Force development programs, visit myFSS.

AFWERX showcased the innovation from Spark Cells around the world at the Air and Space Forces Association’s Air, Space and Cyber Conference in National Harbor, Sept. 11-13. The aisle of four booth spaces at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center was called “Spark Street” where hundreds of attendees learned about ideas and projects from Airmen and Guardians that have improved and strengthened the Department of the Air Force. 

“AFWERX invited Spark Cells to the conference to connect leadership and other Airmen with what’s going on in the innovation space and how that can ignite ideas,” said Kathy Reid, AFWERX Spark branch chief. “There were times this week, when it was hard to walk through Spark Street because there were so many people visiting the booths. And you could hear the conversations, ‘my commander told me to come over here and take a look at this or have you heard about these ideas that they have?’ So, the side conversations and the curiosity of our Airmen has been amazing.” 

Spark Cells are a decentralized network of Airmen, Guardians and government civilians at Air Force bases around the world that execute locally generated ideas and projects to foster a results-driven culture of innovation. 

Tech. Sgt. Kristine Lopez, 48th Fighter Wing director of operations for the innovation office known as LibertyWERX, RAF Lakenheath, United Kingdom, was a Spark Street exhibitor informing attendees on their laser foreign object debris detection system. The system uses high-speed cameras, custom optics and laser line projectors to acquire both 2D images and high-resolution 3D profiles of airport runways, taxiways and aprons to automatically detect small objects at highway speeds. 

The detection system has saved the base money by reducing foreign object debris damage to aircraft and has eliminated thousands of manhours spent on FOD walks, allowing Airmen to focus on their primary mission, 

“We partnered with a small business in New Zealand and it’s one of a kind,” Lopez said. “A lot of Air Force bases and the Navy are interested in this technology. There’s definitely a need out there, we just need a program office to pick it up.” 

 
She even got the chance to share her success story with the Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. CQ Brown, Jr. when he visited Spark Street on Sept. 12.  

I found out yesterday, so I was mentally preparing myself to not stumble,” Lopez added. “I really wanted to emphasize that we are trying to execute his action orders and also highlight some of our Airmen and the amazing ideas that they have.” 

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, a time to raise awareness about the importance of mental health and to reduce the stigma that surrounds mental illness.

As members of the Air Force community, it’s important that we prioritize our mental health and encourage others to do the same. 

Mental health is just as critical to overall well-being as physical health. It’s common for people to focus on physical health and neglect their mental health but this can have serious consequences. Untreated mental illness can lead to problems such as depression, anxiety, substance abuse and suicide. 

The Air Force community faces unique challenges that can affect mental health. Deployment, long hours and high-stress situations can take a toll on our mental well-being. It’s crucial to recognize when we’re struggling and to seek help when we need it. 

There are many resources available to help maintain mental health in the Air Force. Military OneSource is a free resource that offers confidential counseling and support to service members and their families. The Air Force also offers mental health services through the chaplain, Military and Family Life Counselors, Outpatient Behavioral Health and the installation mental health clinic. 

In addition to seeking professional help, there are steps we can take to maintain our mental health. Exercise, healthy eating and getting adequate sleep are all important for both physical and mental health. Practicing mindfulness and stress-management techniques can also help us cope with stress and anxiety. 

It’s essential to remember that mental health is a key component of overall readiness. By taking care of our mental health, we are better equipped to meet the challenges we face as members of the Air Force family. 

This Mental Health Awareness Month. Let’s prioritize our mental health and encourage others to do the same. Together, we can reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness and ensure that everyone has access to the resources they need to maintain their mental well-being.