Creating an AFSO21 culture at Malmstrom: 341st SSPTS CC shares thoughts, thanks Airmen for moving toward leaner Air Force

  • Published
  • By Capt. Melissa Youderian
  • 341st Security Support Squadron commander
MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. --  I need to provide a disclaimer statement up front. I am not a Yankees fan, nor have I ever been. I do, however, have a deep respect for the beloved Yogi Berra. Yogi was very successful in baseball and in life. He had a way of profoundly stating the obvious and so many of his famous "Yogi-isms" are as applicable to business and the military as they are to baseball. 

Yogi once said, "You got to be very careful if you don't know where you're going, because you might not get there." Where the Air Force is "going," is figuring out how to do less with our limited resources (as opposed to the old mantra of "doing more with less"). 

At Malmstrom I am constantly in awe of the Airmen across the ranks who are revolutionizing the way we do business. They are streamlining processes and applying technology in new ways to ensure the Air Force dominates in the 21st century despite budgetary constraints. 

As a result of our Airmen's innovation, we are sustaining operations despite increased operations tempo and fewer resources. It is not easy for some of us to embrace these new ways. 

Personally, much of the modern technology conjures up the voice of "Hal" in my mind (a computer reference from the movie "2001: A Space Odyssey"). However, the rational side of me realizes large corporations have been using technology to improve operations for years and we must ensure we are not left in the dust. 

So to those innovative Airmen, thank you for your technological genius. Keep scheming new ways to trim the fat and then go for it. Your visions of modernizing the Air Force save us time and money. As far as innovation and motivation at Malmstrom, as Yogi once said, "We have deep depth."