ANG command chief laser focused on enlisted issues

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Bob Oldham
  • 189th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
BISMARCK, Ark. --  With his military career coming to a close, the Air National Guard's command chief master sergeant still has his focus on enlisted Airmen and a vested interest in their success.

Chief Master Sgt. Richard Smith, the ninth ANG command chief master sergeant, was here Oct. 17-19 to speak with Arkansas Air National Guard chief master sergeants, first sergeants and select NCOs from around the state at the 7th Annual Enlisted Symposium at the Lake DeGray Lodge in Lake DeGray State Park.

When the chief was named to his current position, fitness of the force was an issue. Four years later, fitness is still at the forefront. Effective Oct. 1, the marginal category went away for Guardsmen. They still have to score a 75 to pass, but 74.9 or less is now a poor, or failing, score.

"I think you always have to strive for continuous improvement," the chief said. "If a 75.2 is the best that you can do, then that's OK. But you need to ask yourself, 'Is that the best I can do, or do I need to be shooting for an 80.'"

Enlisted leaders are concerned that Airmen are working toward just passing the test, referring to it as Fit to Pass instead of Fit to Fight.

"It's not about the test," he advised Airmen at the symposium. "It's about readiness. It's about being fit. It's about a healthy lifestyle. We as leaders can't look at it as a once-a-year test. We have to think year-round."

He equated it to weapons qualification. The Air National Guard requires Airmen to have passing scores, and it needs Airmen with passing scores to deploy. The Air Force established 75 as the minimum passing score on the fitness test, but that's just the minimum. The rhetorical question each Airman has to answer is: Do you want an Airman on patrol with you who fired expert or near expert with the M-16 rifle or an Airman who qualified with the minimum qualifying score?

Weapons qualification is one of many war-skills or ancillary training requirements that are levied on an Airman's time these days, time that is precious as Airmen strive to stay qualified through on-the-job training.

"Corporately, we have to take care of the amount of ancillary training," the chief said, noting, that in some cases, unit leaders can glean efficiencies in their daily drill schedule to maximize training opportunities.

"I know that ancillary training is killing us. It's more than 50 percent of our drill hours, if you're honest to the time allocation that ancillary training asks for," he said.

He said he'd like to see training requirements fall more in line with the Air and Space Expeditionary Force deployment cycle. For example, an Airman would deploy, return home and reconstitute, then have a training cycle to prepare for the next deployment, putting training on a "20-month cycle."

"You shouldn't take an annual ancillary training course and two months later have to take it again just before you deploy," he said. "That's crazy."

The Air Force is currently looking at additional duties to see which should be streamlined or shelved to help ease some of the workload on Airmen. The chief said the ANG will take its lead from the Air Force, and he's interested to see the results of the Air Force survey.

"They're not all going to go away, but have they outlived their usefulness?" he asked. In some cases, yes. In some cases, no.

As Airmen transition from the Battle Dress Uniform to the Airman Battle Uniform, the Air National Guard finds itself in unenviable territory. BDU stocks are now nonexistent yet ABUs aren't mandatory until fiscal year 2011. That means Airmen with worn out BDUs can't get them replaced with BDUs and logistics readiness squadrons haven't been funded to outfit Guardsmen with ABUs. While active-duty Airmen receive a clothing allowance, the Air National Guard is required to issue enlisted Airmen their uniform items. ANG officers must purchase their uniform items and don't receive a clothing allowance.

"We're in a predicament we didn't ask for, and we don't have a whole lot of control over it," the chief said.

Combine the shortage of BDUs with the challenges the Air Force has faced as it has fielded the ABU, such as matching the colors of blouses and pants, the heaviness of the blouse and the requirement to issue ABUs to those who deploy to the front lines first, and it all makes for a perfect storm that has resulted in some Guardsmen's uniforms looking a little ragged.

"I want to see [ABUs] issued sooner rather than later," he said. "We've got to get these uniforms out."

He pointed out that some Guardsmen have bought the ABU on their own to realize the cost avoidance of spending $6 or $7 per BDU at commercial cleaners. Over time, the chief pointed out, the ABU will pay for itself.

ANG command chief laser focused on enlisted issues

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Bob Oldham
  • 189th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
BISMARCK, Ark. --  With his military career coming to a close, the Air National Guard's command chief master sergeant still has his focus on enlisted Airmen and a vested interest in their success.

Chief Master Sgt. Richard Smith, the ninth ANG command chief master sergeant, was here Oct. 17-19 to speak with Arkansas Air National Guard chief master sergeants, first sergeants and select NCOs from around the state at the 7th Annual Enlisted Symposium at the Lake DeGray Lodge in Lake DeGray State Park.

When the chief was named to his current position, fitness of the force was an issue. Four years later, fitness is still at the forefront. Effective Oct. 1, the marginal category went away for Guardsmen. They still have to score a 75 to pass, but 74.9 or less is now a poor, or failing, score.

"I think you always have to strive for continuous improvement," the chief said. "If a 75.2 is the best that you can do, then that's OK. But you need to ask yourself, 'Is that the best I can do, or do I need to be shooting for an 80.'"

Enlisted leaders are concerned that Airmen are working toward just passing the test, referring to it as Fit to Pass instead of Fit to Fight.

"It's not about the test," he advised Airmen at the symposium. "It's about readiness. It's about being fit. It's about a healthy lifestyle. We as leaders can't look at it as a once-a-year test. We have to think year-round."

He equated it to weapons qualification. The Air National Guard requires Airmen to have passing scores, and it needs Airmen with passing scores to deploy. The Air Force established 75 as the minimum passing score on the fitness test, but that's just the minimum. The rhetorical question each Airman has to answer is: Do you want an Airman on patrol with you who fired expert or near expert with the M-16 rifle or an Airman who qualified with the minimum qualifying score?

Weapons qualification is one of many war-skills or ancillary training requirements that are levied on an Airman's time these days, time that is precious as Airmen strive to stay qualified through on-the-job training.

"Corporately, we have to take care of the amount of ancillary training," the chief said, noting, that in some cases, unit leaders can glean efficiencies in their daily drill schedule to maximize training opportunities.

"I know that ancillary training is killing us. It's more than 50 percent of our drill hours, if you're honest to the time allocation that ancillary training asks for," he said.

He said he'd like to see training requirements fall more in line with the Air and Space Expeditionary Force deployment cycle. For example, an Airman would deploy, return home and reconstitute, then have a training cycle to prepare for the next deployment, putting training on a "20-month cycle."

"You shouldn't take an annual ancillary training course and two months later have to take it again just before you deploy," he said. "That's crazy."

The Air Force is currently looking at additional duties to see which should be streamlined or shelved to help ease some of the workload on Airmen. The chief said the ANG will take its lead from the Air Force, and he's interested to see the results of the Air Force survey.

"They're not all going to go away, but have they outlived their usefulness?" he asked. In some cases, yes. In some cases, no.

As Airmen transition from the Battle Dress Uniform to the Airman Battle Uniform, the Air National Guard finds itself in unenviable territory. BDU stocks are now nonexistent yet ABUs aren't mandatory until fiscal year 2011. That means Airmen with worn out BDUs can't get them replaced with BDUs and logistics readiness squadrons haven't been funded to outfit Guardsmen with ABUs. While active-duty Airmen receive a clothing allowance, the Air National Guard is required to issue enlisted Airmen their uniform items. ANG officers must purchase their uniform items and don't receive a clothing allowance.

"We're in a predicament we didn't ask for, and we don't have a whole lot of control over it," the chief said.

Combine the shortage of BDUs with the challenges the Air Force has faced as it has fielded the ABU, such as matching the colors of blouses and pants, the heaviness of the blouse and the requirement to issue ABUs to those who deploy to the front lines first, and it all makes for a perfect storm that has resulted in some Guardsmen's uniforms looking a little ragged.

"I want to see [ABUs] issued sooner rather than later," he said. "We've got to get these uniforms out."

He pointed out that some Guardsmen have bought the ABU on their own to realize the cost avoidance of spending $6 or $7 per BDU at commercial cleaners. Over time, the chief pointed out, the ABU will pay for itself.