CMSAF discusses innovation, KC-46 during McConnell visit

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class David Bernal Del Agua
  • 22nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. --  Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Cody and his wife, retired Chief Master Sgt. Athena Cody, visited McConnell, Oct. 16 and 17.

The Air Force's most senior enlisted Airman discussed several topics during his tour, including the new Enlisted Evaluation System. Some questioned whether forced distribution would create a competitive environment and hurt morale, but Cody said Airmen would not let that become a problem.

"Promotion is a competitive process, but we don't reward an Airman who tries to step on others to get ahead," said Cody. "We place greater value on an Airman that knows how to work as part of a team. Those are the things we learned at basic training."

Airmen continue to learn after basic training, and Cody said we have to rely on their expertise to succeed in the future.
"The Air Force would not be what it is today if the Airmen out in the field weren't innovative," said Cody. "There is no better expert at what an Airman does than the Airman who does the task. Airmen need to feel confident and courageous enough that if there is a more innovative way to be efficient, they can step forward and question the status quo."

The fact that innovators are necessary to keep advancing the Air Force to new heights was not lost on Cody during his visit to McConnell. He was educated on new techniques and processes being implemented here to keep KC-135 Stratotankers in the air and globally engaged.

"Without these KC-135s we have today, we wouldn't have global reach," said Cody. "No one makes these KC-135s anymore, and we are the only ones that keep them up in the air. With some innovative ideas and a 'we can't be stopped' kind of mentality, our Airmen here figured out how to work with Boeing and get the specs on the boom azimuth pulley. They figured out how to make it and ended up saving more than $10,000 while keeping the fleet operational in a way that's absolutely necessary for national defense."

Cody also spoke about the Air Force's top priority, the KC-46A Pegasus scheduled to arrive at McConnell in 2016.

"We've been flying the KC-135 for almost 60 years," said Cody. "It's probably a good time to have a new aircraft. We have been working the KC-135 well beyond its life expectancy, mainly because we have great Airmen here that continue to figure out ways to keep this aircraft operational. We need a new tanker that can continually support the global presence that we need to have, and refueling is what gives us the reach to do that."

Cody believes the Air Force will continue to move ahead although the challenges its facing have yet to be solved.

"We can't do everything and have it be reasonable and sustainable for the Airmen that are here serving now," said Cody. "I think we'll continue to leverage innovative Airmen to be able to do more with less, just like we always have."