SEAC to Airmen: Embrace innovation, Total Force Fitness as military leans down

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  • By Tech. Sgt. Stacia Zachary
  • 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
RAF MILDENHALL, England --  "This is a profession we are in and it's so much more powerful than just working a 7-to-5 job. It becomes your way of life," said U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. Bryan B. Battaglia, senior enlisted advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The SEAC visited RAF Mildenhall and RAF Lakenheath June 19 and 20, 2013, for an in-depth orientation of the mission, roles and responsibilities the two U.K. bases perform. His trip to the bases culminated in a town hall meeting, where the SEAC presented to Airmen the Chairman of the JCS' four key priorities: achieve our national objectives in the current conflicts; develop Joint Force 2020; renew our commitment to the Profession of Arms and keep faith with our military family. Battaglia also discussed a variety of topics to include resiliency, being a relevant and all-volunteer force and embracing innovation.

"The Chairman's priorities are my priorities," the SEAC said. "I do have some initiatives that are very important to me. Being ready and relevant is critical for us to exist and survive as the all-volunteer force we are."

In order for service members to be relevant, they have to know how to fit in to the mission. Currently, the focus is beginning to shift from a high deployment tempo to an in-garrison one. In learning how to accommodate this shift, many will revert to "back-to-basics" mode. While this concept of bringing back older concepts has it benefits, it may not be the best fit for today's set of responsibilities. The compromise to this is learning how to mesh the concepts of yesterday with the capabilities of today.

"If we went back to the basics of yesteryear, we wouldn't be able to stand up to our adversaries," Battaglia said. "So, you reshape some thinking by going back to basics and bridging it (to) today by filling in some of the gaps with current technology."

After more than 10 years of being at war, leadership has learned that one of the basic moves which need to be updated is the concept of taking care of the whole person. A service member always needs to remain focused and ready. The way to do this is to ensure that service members are learning how to navigate challenges.

"We all hit barricades in our lives, but it's how we overcome this crisis that defines us," the SEAC said. "Crisis happens every day, but what choice do you make when it happens? Do you go around, over, under, straight through it, or do you run in the other direction? If you're in the military, that's not an option. So what do you do? You assess the problem, develop courses of action and then go for it. That's how you should tackle adversity."

In the summer of 2010, the previous Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Navy Admiral Mike Mullen, implemented the Total Force Fitness program to transform service members into dynamic war fighters with the capability to hone eight key areas to be a healthier and focused individual. Those key areas are social, physical, environmental, behavioral, psychological, nutritional, medical and dental.

In the Air Force, Airmen must be technically, physically, mentally and spiritually ready when asked to meet the demands of serving in the Armed Forces, according to Air Force Instruction 36-2618, the Enlisted Force Structure.

"Being self-aware of these (areas) will help keep so many things that strip away readiness from affecting us," Battaglia said. "The Wingman concept seems to be a homerun with the Air Force and your commitment to never leave an Airman behind - that means something. I go by 'NOW.' There is 'Never a problem too big' where you would find there is no other course of action than suicide. Outreach - there's always someone to help. And the W is for 'We care.' If your people see that you live by that or have role models and mentors who prove there is never a problem too big, that will make a difference."

The way ahead presents its challenges to leadership of today's military. The challenges though, are not insurmountable. In many respects, technology takes away some of the burden of doing more with less which fiscal constrictors now cause.

"This isn't something new," Battaglia said. "We continue to shift and change how we look. There are ways to be innovative; it just takes some creative thinking. Our youth have a great ability to tap into this."

Conversely, doing more with less sometimes means doing less - especially if there is degradation in the product or safety is jeopardized.

"The mission always comes first," said Chief Master Sgt. Craig Adams, U.S. Air Forces in Europe command chief. "If we get into a place where we can't do this safely, we will take away the mission."

As the challenges present themselves, having senior NCOs and NCOs who are competent and reliable will help guide the enlisted corps to overcome obstacles. And knowing the commanders' intent will do a lot to ensure mission success.

"Senior NCOs need to know their commander's intent and priorities. If that's unclear, then you're chasing the wrong target," the SEAC said. "The enlisted need to be fully meshed and embedded into what they are doing - that's the job of the senior NCOs."

The last thing on Battaglia's watch is not to jeopardize the all-volunteer force. As the military emerges as a leaner, more capable and cyber-ready force, it's important not to become complacent. Instead, Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors and Marines are all reminded to remain vigilant and poised to respond.

As we begin to shift away from Afghanistan, we need to remember our job is to be ready to go where we are needed most. We need to remain proficient in our skills sets and continue training, Battaglia said. "(Our adversaries) won't just go to ground when we leave. They will still be there, waiting."