Kowalski visits Malmstrom, holds All Call to discuss 'hot' topics

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. R.J. Biermann
  • 341st Missile Wing Public Affairs
MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. --  Lt. Gen. James Kowalski, commander of Air Force Global Strike Command, visited Malmstrom Air Force Base, Mont., April 21 through 24 to tour duty sections, meet Airmen and host an All Call.

During his All Call, the commander discussed sexual assault, budget and the nuclear enterprise.

"This is always one of my favorite places to go visit," Kowalski said. "This isn't just another base waiting to deploy. This wing is set up to support what's going on out in the missile field every day."

Throughout the All Call the general likened Team Malmstrom to a family.

"The [Malmstrom mission] truly is a family business," he said. "Very few, if any, have family in Great Falls. This is our family. You have all been brought here from all over the country, and you share values, this mission and your everyday life with the people you work with."

Like the family, each member has very specific responsibilities, according to Kowalski.

"If we're a family, who's watching out for us if we're not looking out for each other?" Kowalski asked. "We need to be taking care of each other. It's OK to be an intrusive leader and to ask the hard questions of each other. Every Airman in [AFGSC] is a leader, you lead by example, you lead your peers and you're in training for a formal leadership role."

Kowalski then discussed sexual assault - an unwelcome problem within his "family."

"You are the top 25 percent of the nation," he said. "Seventy-five percent of young Americans don't meet the standards to join the United States Air Force. If we're the top 25 percent, we shouldn't accept being average in any metric, especially in something that hurts our family the way sexual assault does."

A hot topic to Airmen and civilians alike, Kowalski touched on budget constraints and the problems that must be faced with these constraints.

"You have to put the rumors in perspective," Kowalski said. "This is an unusual time in our nation and there are important decisions to be made. We're $16 trillion in debt as a nation but even as we reduce our budgets we can maintain the best Air Force in the world.

"Here's what we do know," Kowalski continued. "The budget is coming down long term and sequestration is in effect for the near term. Both create problems."

Kowalski assured that if there's a "silver lining," it's that Department of Defense and Air Force leaders are willing to rethink current processes to help increase savings in all areas. He mentioned the latest Air Force initiative "Every Dollar Counts," http://tinyurl.com/achphhd and also AFGSC's "Strike Now" program. More information about the program can be found at http://www.afgsc.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123264736.

The commander then quickly transitioned to a presentation about the possibility of a world without nuclear weapons.

"Unfortunately this is not a world headed to zero nuclear weapons anytime soon," Kowalski began, "and as President Obama said, as long as these weapons exist, the U.S. will maintain a safe, secure and effective nuclear arsenal to deter adversaries and assure our allies.

"The paradox of nuclear weapons is, the more credible you are in this mission, the less likely you are to have to use them," he added.

To conclude, Kowalski reassured attendees of their important contributions to the mission.

"I'm a believer in what we do," Kowalski said. "And I need you to believe in what you do, because what you do is really important for our nation. Not many people are going to come out here and tell you that, but you're going to hear it from me. We need to be ready and we need to have a robust force, healthy forces, and a safe, secure and effective force, because our nation needs us to do that."