History, Telecommuting, Life Coaching, More at AFMC Town Hall > Air Force > Article Display

AIR FORCE BASE WRIGHT-PATTERSON, Ohio (AFNS) —

Luftwaffe Material Command Leadership hosted a virtual town hall on May 3rd, which offered an online audience of over 3,000 insights into today’s leadership issues, as well as a dose of fun facts and career advice.

The town hall was the last for Gen. Arnold W. Bunch, Jr.Commander of AFMC and Patricia M Young, Executive Director, ahead of her upcoming move this summer. The leaders, along with Chief Master Sgt. David A. FlosiAFMC Commander-in-Chief provided updates on topical issues ranging from COVID-19, vaccines and remote working to career development, digital transformation, force size, manpower, the current conflict in Ukraine and more.

Following a round of trivia to highlight AFMC history in honor of the Command’s 30th anniversary this coming July, the event began with a discussion of the current status COVID-19 and vaccines, with Bunch reminding everyone to be vigilant and “use common sense” and stay home if they’re feeling sick. Leaders also addressed the future of telecommuting, which has been normalizing during the pandemic.

“Teleworking is a management tool. It’s not a right, it’s an entitlement,” Young said. “It’s a tool we can use to work with our force and still meet the needs of the mission. However, it is an obligation and agreement between the employee and the supervisor. Teleworking in a remote or other situation has much more responsibility and commitment on behalf of the employee, so we want to ensure that supervisors independently understand and carefully assess each situation and the employee’s abilities. We must ensure that all workers, supervisors and managers are using the tool as effectively and efficiently as possible.”

On the recently released Air Force draftFlosi took time to explain the document’s importance to the development of the aviators the service needs to meet current and future threats.

“While we had done a good job of developing a career path for Airmen in our functional communities, from an institutional perspective we hadn’t capitalized on what we need,” Flosi said. “So we started with the core competencies that all types of service members have in common and the Airman leadership qualities that we wanted. The blueprint includes waypoints for each tier of the enlisted troop structure and the development and career opportunities available from day one through transition.”

Leaders also took time to discuss issues related to force size, manpower levels, housing and pay, and expectations for the digital air force of the future. Bunch repeated the meaning of diversityEquity, Inclusion and Accessibility activities, emphasizing the importance of leaders and Airmen having ongoing conversations and discussions about the “hard” issues to drive change.

Bunch also took a moment to discuss the current situation in Ukraine and what it means for today’s aviator.

“Watch and learn. Listen to what you can and see how it applies to your day-to-day work,” Bunch said in terms of logistics. (Logistics) is really important and that’s what wins wars.”

At the conclusion of the event, executives provided AFMC Airmen with career and life advice for the future.

“It’s your career and yours to manage. You have to make the choices that are right for you,” Young said. “The last six years have been fantastic and AFMC has a lot to be proud of. It is our employees that make things happen.”

After thanking AFMC Airmen for their continued hard work and dedication to the Air Force mission, Bunch touched on careers, lives and resilience for all in his closing remarks.

“Don’t leave the family until you run out of Air Force. You came here with a family and you have to take care of them,” Bunch said. “Take care of each other too. Be the kind of aviators who look out for each other. Pay attention to who is having problems and check each other out. Be that good wingman.”

Bunch ended with comments on his time at AFMC and his reflections on the command mission.

“The last three years have been a blur and I’ve learned so much from each and every one of you. When I took command, I said that AFMC is the main command of the United States Air Force and that we conduct our wartime missions every day. There is nothing I have come across in the last three years that has changed my perspective on this in any way. Our Air Force cannot be successful without what you do every day. It is an honor to have had the opportunity to serve and work for you all… so thank you.”

The town hall can be visited here by internal AFMC audience.