CSAF's Vector: The Way Ahead - U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff General Norton A. Schwartz.
Many of you have asked me about the future of our Air Force, so I want to take this opportunity to provide you with my vision for the way ahead. We are at an important juncture after nearly 20 years of constant combat in the Middle East and Asia; an era that has changed the face of modern warfare and reshaped us. Our Airmen are responding to the Nation's call with agility, innovation, and expeditionary presence--today nearly 40,000 American Airmen are deployed to 263 locations across the globe. We've also demonstrated that modern warfighting isn't just about how many are "over there." Our deployed-in-place Airmen are indispensable to the day-to-day defense of our Nation, whether they are tracking and dispatching bad actors at intercontinental range, maintaining constant vigilance from space, sustaining credible strategic deterrence, protecting networks, or patrolling the skies over the homeland...
... We cannot know what the future holds, so in order to realize my vision of a consistently powerful, capable Air Force, we will almost certainly need to pursue initiatives not yet fully imagined. I know Airmen will respond. After all, we are the stewards of a remarkable and vibrant history that began on the sands of Kitty Hawk and continues to be written in places like Afghanistan. Whether our contribution is in irregular warfare, humanitarian relief operations, engaging other air forces, aerial combat, strategic deterrence--or just getting the job done--we stand firm as a vital component of U.S. military power. America's Air Force entered the 21st century as the world's best air, space and cyber institution, and together we must expand on that legacy. I am proud to be your Chief and look forward to working with you as we build a firm foundation for the next generation of Airmen.
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