Open door, open ears

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Jessica H. Smith
  • 366th FW PA
MOUNTAIN HOME AIR FORCE BASE, Idaho --  As adults, we are constantly reminded about the importance of communication in our everyday relationships, but just how important is it in an Air Force career?
Why has there been such an influx of encouragement for it lately?

Chief Master Sgt. David Brown, 366th Fighter Wing command chief, talks about the importance of communication and the role it plays in Air Force readiness here.

The Air Force is trying to bridge the gap in communication to better accomplish the Air Force mission and its core competencies, but more than anything to be prepared for any and every situation.

"We have to be prepared to perform wartime missions each and every day, regardless of what career field we are in," said Brown. "We have to be prepared for any situation that may arise." 

In order to achieve readiness, open communication is key.  The Air Force has always had an open door policy, yet it hasn't always been encouraged or usable.

"Back in the day there really wasn't an open door policy -- they said there was but there wasn't," explained Brown. "You really didn't see a lot of chiefs or first sergeants that were accessible to the young Airmen." 

Now, with better communication, Airmen know they can come forward. Brown explained the Air Force has advanced into a new era.

"Now you can talk to the chief in his or her office, you can go talk to the first sergeant, to the commander, and you can be open and honest with them," said Brown. "We have to allow all ranks to talk back and forth about what is and isn't working."

Maj. Christopher Johnson, 366th Fighter Wing director of inspections, explained how part of this new era includes a new way of performing exercises.

"Previously we would do an exercise and if we didn't have the resources, whether it be time, money, or manning, we wouldn't really address it; we would just make the exercise fit so everything worked out correctly," said Johnson.

Now problems are identified and made known to the wing commander who can then push the information further up the chain of command to gain the necessary resources.

"Gone are the days where we want to make everything look pretty -- now the Air Force is interested in what's broken, why it's broken and what we can do to fix it," Johnson concluded.

Communication is easy -people just do it. It's the effectiveness that's tough to accomplish. However, Brown believes all ranks can contribute to making this change happen.

"One thing I preach is being all-in; we all have to be able to communicate better," said Brown. 

The goal of improved communication is to keep Airmen of all ranks and positions in the know -- not just leadership, explained Brown. He said it's what the Air Force has always strived for.

"We want a better fighting force; we want service members to understand where they fit in the big picture of the United States Air Force," said Brown.

Airmen can be assured leadership will practice exactly what they're preaching and will make every effort to be positive role models, explained Brown.

"I want to leave this Air Force better than I found it; I want to keep giving Airmen everything I possibly can before I'm gone," said Brown. "My biggest fear is letting Airmen down and not communicating enough to the point where they are unable to make decisions as future leaders."