Top military brass conducts Nellis and Creech "all-hands call" Published June 18, 2008 By Airman 1st Class Ryan Whitney Nellis AFB Public Affairs NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. -- Airmen at Nellis and Creech Air Force Bases here in Nevada were recently visited by the nation's highest ranking U.S. military leader, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, on a two-day visit that kicked off his tour of western military bases June 16 and 17. The visit, which had been scheduled for quite some time, introduced Nellis and Creech Airmen to the military's top leader. According to base officials, the visit to Nellis is the first time the CJCS has had the opportunity to see the Air Force's premier installations -- Nellis and Creech AFBs -- and bring his key messages personally to them. Admiral Mullen held an "All-Hands Call" for Nellis and Creech Airmen to discuss current military affairs and fielded questions from the more than 1,000 Airmen who attended. To begin the event, the admiral was provided an opportunity to personally recognize four Airmen for their contributions to the Global War on Terror. "We are serving during one of the most challenging times I've seen in the more than 40 years that I have been in the military. We have never pushed our people as hard as we are now with the deployment rotations and the increased focus on the mission," the admiral said to the audience. Before the Admiral opened the forum for questions from the Airmen, he discussed those topics he held to a high level of importance -- importance of leadership, importance of family and the changes that are on the horizon. "In tough times, there is nothing more important than great leadership. [Leadership] is not just for senior leaders, you can lead whether you are an E-1 or O-10, from the front, the middle, or the back, or actively and passively, but leadership is at the core of what makes us great," Admiral Mullen said. "In those very tough times," he reiterated, "There is nothing more important than great leadership. Senior leadership works on a lot of things -- but on top of the list is to make sure we get it right for you." The admiral told the Airmen that he admired General Michael Moseley, Chief of Staff of the Air Force, and Secretary Michael Wynne, Secretary of the Air Force, for being accountable for Air Force shortfalls following their recent resignations. He assured the Airmen that there will be continuity when the new top leadership of the Air Force settles in. The chairman pointed out that while leadership may be important; the military family is what retains individuals in the military. "We may recruit you as an individual, but we can't keep you in without the support of your family, and the family support programs have always been excellent in the Air Force," Admiral Mullen said. Admiral Mullen also forecasted change in the Air Force future, some aimed specifically at the Creech mission. He noted that combat forces having an "insatiable appetite" for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance provided by the MQ-1 predator and MQ-9 Reaper, and the work of the pilots and sensor operators at Creech AFB, are critical to mission success. "Once a commander gets a taste of what we can do with the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance information provided by [unmanned aerial systems], they won't be able to get enough," the chairman said. To fill this appetite, Air Force leadership is planning to increase the number of combat air patrols flown by Reapers and Predators to 50, nearly twice the amount flown now. "What I have seen in the last 24 hours [here] is remarkable leading edge technology that our military and our country will continue to depend on, and you have to continue delivering it. Take care of yourselves, take care of each other, and be ready for the long haul here. This is a marathon, not a sprint, and we've got to do it together."
