General Schwartz to Airmen: Be proud

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. J.G. Buzanowski
  • Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs
WASHINGTON --  On his first day after being sworn in as the Air Force chief of staff, Gen. Norton Schwartz wasted no time in getting his message out to Airmen.

"The key thing we need to do is achieve stability," General Schwartz said. "At the same time, we need to focus on those things that are most important, specifically precision and reliability in everything that we do."

General Schwartz takes over as the 19th Air Force chief of staff at a critical juncture when the service has faced criticism from media, elected officials and the public.

The general said he has confidence in Airmen and has established three particular areas of emphasis that are his immediate goals as the chief of staff:

- Reestablish the Air Force's credibility with its nuclear enterprise
- Provide joint warfighters with as much Air Force capability as possible
- Address acquisition processes.

Air Force requirements to purchase a new tanker and combat search and rescue helicopter "need attention immediately," General Schwartz added.

The general said he will be accessible and approachable to Airmen and "lead from the front." His wife, Suzie, will accompany him on many visits so she can to talk with family members and address their concerns as well.

"Suzie and I have been doing this for quite a long time -- she's all in," General Schwartz said. "She cares, and I think she brings great value to our Air Force [and] certainly our joint team as a person who sees things, hears things, perceives things that I might miss. We have always been a team and will continue to be a team."

General Schwartz and his wife enjoy running together as fitness is very important to them both. He's also a reader and recently finished "Ghost Wars" by Steve Coll, a book about how the Taliban came into existence during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

"I also try to stay current and try to be as knowledgeable about aerospace as I can," he said.

The 1973 Air Force Academy graduate spent the last three years as the head of U.S. Transportation Command, and the bulk of his career as a special operations pilot, which gives him a unique perspective as the service chief, a position traditionally held by fighter and bomber pilots.

General Schwartz is a command pilot with more than 4,400 flying hours in a variety of aircraft. He participated as a crewmember in the 1975 airlift evacuation of Saigon, and in 1991 served as chief of staff of the Joint Special Operations Task Force for Northern Iraq in operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.

General Schwartz sent out a 60-second video introductory message to all Airmen Aug. 12, pledging the Air Force will "keep our promise to our joint teammates and to our families."

General Schwartz said he wants to reestablish faith and credibility in Air Force stewardship and pride in the service.

"We should be proud of what we do for all: for America, for the joint team, for our Air Force and for our Airmen and their families. I will strive to work hard every day and maintain the same high standards as each of you.

"And along the way, we'll have fun, too," he added.

To view General Schwartz's video address to Airmen, click here