Webb hosts 1st call as AFSOC commander

Published Aug. 31, 2016
By Staff Sgt. Melanie Holochwost

HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. -- Lt. Gen. Brad Webb, commander of Air Force Special Operations Command, hosted his first series of all calls here Aug. 30.

Webb said the purpose of the calls were to inform the staff of his vision moving forward, including a list of priorities, which closely align with and meet requirements from both the U.S. Special Operations Command and Air Force.

Priority #1 is to “ensure readiness to execute global special operations today.”

Webb, who has been in command for six weeks, said this includes balancing the spectrum, developing adaptive and realistic training, and designing relevant assessments.

“Air Commandos need to be balanced with the right skills, training and capability to dominate challenges across the spectrum of conflict, both low end and high end,” he explained.

The command’s second priority is “transform our force and fleet to maintain relevance tomorrow,” which encompasses recapitalizing the fleet, organizing the force, and reviewing the core mission, Webb said.

“We need to harness innovation,” said Chief Master Sgt. Greg Smith, AFSOC command chief. “The answers are in this room. What are you doing today that is relevant? What is irrelevant? What are you doing just because it’s just something you do? Can we stop doing it? The answers to these questions will shape what tomorrow looks like.”

Webb said his third priority is “invest in the resilience of our force, family and relationships,” which is about the immediate and enduring well-being of our Air Commandos, their families, and our partners.

This comes down to investing in people.

“’Humans are more important than hardware’ is more than just a saying, it’s what makes us special,” Smith said.

Webb agreed.

“The first job of a leader is to develop the next generation of leaders,” he said.

At the end, Webb said AFSOC is on a great vector.

“AFSOC has relevance across the board and everybody is talking about us in good ways,” he said. “I’m proud to be back home.”