‘Who will you inspire?’ 3rd AF command team asks Aviano

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Austin Harvill
  • 31st Fighter Wing Public Affairs
AVIANO AIR BASE, Italy --  
Every Airman has seen or felt it once before—the urge to just quit. Maybe it was a bad supervisor, maybe the family doesn’t want another move or maybe those Airmen just don’t know why they matter.

The 3rd Air Force command team visited Aviano Air Base, Nov. 30, to change those attitudes through supporting families and inspiring one another.

“Every Airman, every mission, has a purpose,” said Lt. Gen. Richard Clark, 3rd AF commander. “[Airmen] need to be able to draw their task to the ultimate mission. That’s how I believe we get inspired and inspire each other.”

Command Chief Master Sgt. Phillip Easton, 3rd AF command chief master sergeant, challenged Aviano to take the general’s words to heart.

“As an aircraft maintainer, for probably the first ten years of my career I didn’t understand my purpose. So I ask, who are you inspiring?” said Easton. “It took one supervisor, one commander, to show me why I was important. Whether you work in maintenance, medical or the wing staff agencies, what you do every day matters.”

The general said inspired Airmen are developed by families who want to support them.

“We recruit Airmen, but we retain families,” said Clark. “I will be in the Air Force for who knows how much longer, but I will be with my family for the rest of my life. [We can’t] drive our families to the point where they don’t want to be in the Air Force, so finding that balance is critical.”

The general shared how, even as a commander of the European and African areas of responsibilities, he balances his job with family time.

“It’s a tough balance because we are on the go a lot,” said Clark. “It is really about being deliberate about making the time. During the holidays, I ask our Airmen to find the time to spend with their families.”

Clark and Easton learned how Aviano Airmen balance the mission and family life by discussing challenges overseas with leaders, meeting with enlisted Airmen at lunch and seeing what the 31st Fighter Wing does every day.

“I know the load we continue to put on our Airmen here and how it translates to our families,” said Clark. “I just want to say thank you, from Gen. Wolters, the [U.S. Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa] commander, myself at 3rd AF, we just want to tell you we appreciate and recognize what you do.”