Lt. Gen. Klotz welcomes Malmstrom to AFGSC

  • Published
  • By Valerie Mullett
  • 341st Missile Wing Public Affairs Office
MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. --  Malmstrom's 3-Bay Hangar was filled to capacity as members of Wing One came together to witness history. Dec. 1, Lt. Gen. Frank Klotz, Commander, Air Force Global Strike Command, welcomed the 341st Missile Wing into the Air Force's newest command. Malmstrom was the general's second stop in a tour of all three 20th Air Force bases.

"You are American Airmen with special trust and responsibility for the most powerful weapons in our Nation's arsenal," said General Klotz. "An elite, highly disciplined team, that's what you are. The idea is that we do what our job is . . . and we do what we know how to do, every time."

While discussing the importance of every job, and its effect on the mission, General Klotz told each Airman, "Do (your job) absolutely to the best of your ability and ensure that you do it absolutely right. A lot people are watching," referring to the leaders in the Air Force, the Department of Defense, potential enemies, and even our friends and allies.

It's been just under 11 months from the initial announcement of an AFGSC provisional command at Bolling AFB, Washington, D.C., in January. The next milestone will be reached on Feb. 1, 2010, when the bomb wings at Whiteman AFB, Mo., Minot AFB, N.D., and Barksdale AFB, La., will also transfer to AFSGC, bringing not just ICBMs, but also nuclear-capable bombers under a single command.

While the day is momentous in the organization of the Air Force, the general said organizational changes will be relatively seamless.

"You've still got the same boss. You'll also be following the same checklists. What you will gain is a single MAJCOM focused solely on your mission," he said.

Stressing the mission, vision and values of the command; emphasizing the need to maintain nuclear forces that are safe, secure and credible; and underscoring the importance of technical expertise, the general stated there is no room for incomplete knowledge or substandard performance when dealing with nuclear weapons.

To do this, the general said each person needs to:

 Have individual responsibility for mission success;

 Accomplish critical self assessments of their performance;

 Possess uncompromising adherence to all directives;

 Maintain superior technical and weapons system expertise;

 Take pride in the nuclear heritage and mission;

 Garner respect for the worth and dignity of every Airman; and

 Be safe in all things large and small.

General Klotz told Team Malmstrom how honored he was and what a privilege it was to work alongside each Airman, and he assured them their hard work and dedication does not go unnoticed.

He laid out one last expectation before taking questions from the audience.
"One of the things I will expect and one of the things we will demand is that you treat each other with dignity and respect," the general said. "You have the capability to be the very best at what you do."