VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Kaleth O. Wright met with Airmen and hosted an all call during a visit Sept. 25, 2019, at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.
While at Vandenberg AFB, Wright learned about what the Airmen of the 14th Air Force and the 30th Space Wing do each day to effectively and efficiently accomplish the mission.
“It occurred to me, especially against the backdrop of all the things that we are dealing with in our Air Force right now, from a resiliency and suicide standpoint…that our Airmen, you guys, are a national treasure,” said Wright. “Nobody has Airmen like we have in the United States Air Force. We just have to get better at treating you and treating each other like the national treasure that you are.”
To kick off the visit, Wright sat down with Airmen for a breakfast at Breakers dining facility where they spoke about their personal stories and their outlooks on the Air Force.
Continuing the day, Wright visited multiple units across the installation including the 30th Medical Group, Combined Space Operation Center and 30th Civil Engineering Squadron high voltage pole training yard.
“I only got to spend a little bit of time here at Vandenberg today, but I tell you, I was thoroughly impressed,” said Wright.
To round out the day, Wright hosted an all-call at the base theater where he spoke about the futures of catastrophic or bereavement leave, the NCO career status program, fitness standards, and other important topics in the Air Force.
Wright explained they've been working on an initiative for bereavement or catastrophic leave for the past year and a half, which will allow commanders to give members 14 days of permissive leave to take needed personal time and settle affairs, such as when a family member passes away.
“I don’t think that is enough, but I’m going to take what we can get initially,” said Wright.
While many different topics were discussed, Wright continued to hit on the importance of overall Wingmanship and treating each other as family.
“I don’t want to institute something that says ‘You better care about the person to your left and right,’ I just think that should be a part of our nature as Airmen,” said Wright. “We are family and we should treat each other as such.”