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FRI 08 JAN 21
Airmen Engineers,
As we press forward into the New Year, we would like to take a moment to reflect on what has certainly been an unprecedented and turbulent year of change…
First, the COVID-19 pandemic created unforeseen obstacles that tested our ability to adapt and lead in a newly restrictive environment. Despite these challenges, the Civil Engineer community continued to execute its core mission and at every turn, helped mitigate the spread of the virus, whether engineering solutions to address equipment shortages or building additional care facilities to support medical personnel. While we expect the COVID-19 pandemic to end in the near future with the development and distribution of vaccines, we still need to remain vigilant and take appropriate precautions to continue accomplishing our mission. All Airmen Engineers should take pride in the resilience we demonstrated and the remarkable contributions you made.
Second, we witnessed significant political and community unrest across the country over the past year. From insurrectionists storming our Capitol this week, to protests combating racial bigotry, these events have taken a toll on us all. We remain optimistic that we will become a stronger nation and Air Force after all of this turmoil. We are a diverse family and force of Airmen, composed of military, civilian, and contractors with unique backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives – this is our greatest strength, and we owe it to every Airman to foster a culture of inclusion, belonging, and trust. We have commissioned working groups to facilitate tough conversations within our enterprise and will continuously review our Force Management, Development, and Talent Management procedures to create the culture we all desire. We have a lot of work to do in this area to better support every Airman Engineer, regardless of race, gender, age, religion, national origin, sexual orientation and other factors, to realize their full potential and bring every unique capability and skill to the fight.
Third, we are a nation and Air Force in transition. We have a new administration coming into office on 20 January 2021 which will drive a new outlook and changes to our budget. We also have a new Chief of Staff of the Air Force, General C. Q. Brown, who challenged us with his strategic vision, Accelerate Change or Lose, to ensure future success. General Brown also released a series of action orders that describe our strategic approach to driving necessary change in Airmen, Bureaucracy, Competition, and Design. We believe we have a good roadmap to enable this change with our three key strategies: the Infrastructure Investment Strategy (I2S), the Human Capital Roadmap (HCR), and the Revitalize CE Squadrons (RCES) initiative. These efforts, and everything else to come in 2021, will require a total force effort, from our newest Airmen to seasoned leaders. And if our history is any indicator of our ability to rise to the challenge, we have no doubt that Airmen Engineers will continue to adapt, innovate, and lead the way.
Finally, thank you to all of our Airmen Engineers and families for your continued service, sacrifice, and support of our Air Force. Our success is the result of your contributions, no matter where, or in what capacity, you serve. We are humbled by your achievements, proud to serve alongside each of you, and look forward to seeing what you accomplish in the New Year. Please continue to take care of each other and let us know if there is anything we can do to ensure your success.
NANCY J. BALKUS, P.E.,SES WILLIAM H. KALE III, PE, PMP
Deputy Director of Civil Engineering Brig Gen, USAF Director of Civil Engineers
ROBERT N. CULLISON
CMSgt, USAF
Civil Engineer Chief of Enlisted Matters
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