Air Force Chief of Staff General C. C. Brown, Jr..and his wife, Sharene Brown, visited Sheppard Air Force Base On October 6, to meet with Airmen and see how the base’s two wings are accelerating change in technical and flight training.

“If we want to continue to be the most respected Air Force in the world, we have to change,” Brown said on an all-call with the 82nd Training Wing. “We have to do things differently from what we have done in the past. We can’t keep doing the same thing and expect a different result, that’s why I focus on change.

One of the general’s first stops was the 362nd Training Squadron, where he experienced Technical Training Transformation – a partnership between the 82 TRW and Air Education and Training staff – modernizing crew chief training by leveraging emerging technologies and modern teaching methods.

Brown also visited the 366th Training Squadron Civil Engineers School, where he attended joint service training in the Water and Fuel Management Systems and Electrical Systems courses. . He completed his technical training immersion at the 364th Training Squadron Cable and Antenna Systems course.

After lunch, where he ate with 10 permanent junior enlisted airmen, the general spent the afternoon at the 80th Flying Training Wing.

During his meeting with senior national representatives of the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training programme, Brown learned how the program meets the intent of one of its top four priorities – “Integrated by Design”. For 41 years, the ENJJPT has strengthened its partnerships through a bottom-up integration of resources, personnel, programs and planning to meet the needs of the 14 participating partner countries.

Brown was also updated on maintenance challenges affecting aging T-38 Heel fleet and early plans for the arrival of the T-7 Redhawk.

Meanwhile, Ms. Brown visited the Child Development Center, where she was briefed on the planned new facility, which is due to open later this year. She also toured the base student ministry center, landing zone, and met with key unit spouses, international military spouses, and families who are part of the Exceptional Family Members Program.

During all of the calls to each wing, Brown spoke about the priorities set out in his CSAF Action Orders publication and underscored the importance of ongoing initiatives such as Agile Combat Employment and Mission-Capable Airmen, making it clear to anyone who might doubt that “we are doing this.”

He also talked about the new “Spectrum of Resilience” and stressed the importance for leaders to get to know their people.

“Get to know your Airmen … hang out with them,” Brown said. “On duty, off duty, whatever…it’s pretty hard to understand someone having a bad day if you don’t know what a good day looks like for them.”