TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. — After nearly four days of engaging with Tinker Airmen and community leaders, the Air Force Chief of Staff, cited Tinker as a “crown jewel” doing remarkable work for the nation.

During his visit, Gen. Mark A. Welsh III repeatedly expressed his appreciation for the way Tinker Airmen are carrying out the vital national defense missions here.

“Every combatant commander in the world brags about you,” he said during one of his three All Calls with Airmen. “They all want more of you … more of what you bring to the fight. They all recognize the incredible job you are doing here.”

Whether talking about the work of the Air Force Sustainment Center, the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex, the 72nd Air Base Wing, the 448th Supply Chain Management Wing, the 507th Air Refueling Wing, the 552nd Air Control Wing or other Air Force active and reserve component units here, the Chief had across-the-board praise for the way Tinker units execute their respective missions.

“All of the issues we will talk about (during these visits) are interesting, but what is important to the Air Force is that the work that you do — the work here at Tinker — is as exceptional here as it is across our Air Force. You are the machine that keeps this enterprise moving,” he said.

While viewing some of the OC-ALC’s KC-135 Program Depot Maintenance operations, General Welsh was shown how incorporating the AFSC Way has resulted in increased speed and throughput gains. He also visited the 76th Propulsion Maintenance Group, the 76th Software Maintenance Group and B-52 Program Depot Maintenance, where he was shown other examples of how AFSC units strive to become more cost-effective every day.

“When I travel the Air Force and I look at the condition of the platforms which are flying 40, 50 and 60-plus years after they began flying … it’s stunning, actually unbelievable,” said General Welsh. “We can do it, because we have facilities, organizations and people like you.”

General Welsh described the sense of pride in the OC-ALC as palpable. “I’m a big believer that pride is a key to our Air Force,” he said. “I saw people working on airplanes who were as proud of the job they do rebuilding an airplane as are those in any mission area in our Air Force.”

The complex wasn’t the only unit where the general saw examples of Airmen making every dollar count.

At the 72nd Security Forces Armory, General Welsh talked with “Defenders” to learn how the unit is coping with the transition to new deployment cycles and how they are continuously improving operations to improve their work centers. 

“For the past 25 years you (Air Force units) have been working pretty hard,” the general said. You have been deploying, coming back, training, working hard and deploying again.”

General Welsh said one of the objectives of the Air Force plan to right-size the force is to rebuild career fields heavily hit by past reductions so that units such as the 72nd SFS aren’t working 12-hour shifts for years at a time.

While at the 552nd ACW, the general thanked the wing for continuously providing command and control on a scale unequalled by any other force.

“Command and control is the heartbeat of U.S. joint military activity,” he said. “You deploy constantly all over the world doing what no one else can do. You are the first in and generally the last to leave. From both the air and the ground, you set the standard in this mission area every day.”

General Welsh also explained why the Air Force is proposing divesting seven of the wing’s E-3 Sentry airborne warning and control system aircraft from the fleet. He stressed that E-3 modernization must be completed to keep the aircraft ready and capable in the environment the Air Force expects to fly and fight in over the next 10 to 15 years.

“The problem is that as resources come down, we don’t have money for modernization,” he said. “We will trade off airframes now to do the modernizations we need. Not modernizing is not an option for our Air Force.”

The general also saw examples of the how the 72nd Air Base Wing is working to enable Team Tinker success through programs such as the installation’s innovative resiliency program. General Welsh and his wife Betty, heard firsthand testimonials from people who had participated in the program.

Efforts to enhance resiliency fit well into the general’s focus on caring.

“We have to care more,” explained General Welsh. “We have to care about the people around us because I truly believe we work with the best men and women on Earth. You have to care enough to get beyond just ‘good morning’ and ‘how are you.’ ”

“I’m a huge believer that every Airman has a story. Some are inspirational, some are sad and some just make you feel good …,” said the general. “But each story is unique. If you don’t know the story, you can’t lead that Airman as good as you could otherwise. It’s really that simple.”

General Welsh also said that although people care about each other, there are still some things going on inside the Air Force that are unacceptable such as harassment and sexual assault.

“We have people who don’t feel respected in the workplace, who don’t feel that their opinions are valued. We have people who don’t understand that diversity is the strength of our Air Force,” he said. “It’s not acceptable that someone doesn’t feel valued or they don’t feel part of the team. We are just better than that.”

General Welsh said all Airmen must care more about becoming better at what they do. “Every day, we have to care about getting better at our jobs,” he urged. “We must fight and win our nation’s wars. There is no second place.”

The general said he saw many examples of people doing that at Tinker; working hard to improve efficiency, reduce costs and use less resources so the Air Force can use them in other areas. “What you are doing here is what we have to do Air Force wide,” he said.

In addition to accompanying the general on several unit visits and community events, Mrs. Welsh also had a full schedule of her own, getting a look at initiatives inside and outside the gates which support Tinker quality of life. Her schedule included visits to the 72nd Medical Group, the base chapel, the Balfour Beatty Community Center in military housing, the 72nd SFS key spouses and the Atkinson Heritage Center off base.

One of the programs highlighted is the Home Away from Home program which provides single airmen with a “host family” from the local community. In just its first year, there are 206 Airmen and Sailors enrolled in the program.

General Welsh also engaged with the Tinker community; speaking at a bridge dedication in Moore for a fallen Airman, addressing a group of civic leaders during a luncheon in downtown Oklahoma City and serving as the featured speaker for the annual Tinker Community Dining Out.