Skip to main content (Press Enter).
 News
    
        Photos

    Week in Photos

    Air Force TV

    Commentaries

    Features

    Art

    About Us
    
        Air Force Senior Leaders
    
        SECAF

    CSAF

    CMSAF

    Biographies

    Fact Sheets

    SECAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library
    
        CSAF Leadership Library 2022

    CSAF Leadership Library 2021

    CSAF Reading List Pre-2020 Archive
    
        2018 CSAF Reading List

    2017 CSAF Reading List

    2016 CSAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library 2023

    CMSAF Leadership Library

    50 Years of the CMSAF

    Adjunct Professors

    Air Force Strategic Documents

    Arctic Strategy

    Empowered Airmen

    State Licensure Portability

    Careers

    AF Federal Advisory Committees

    AF 75th Anniversary

    Policy Updates

    AF Content Management

    Contact Us

    AF Sites
    
        Site RegistrationU.S. Air Force LogoAir Force

        Policy UpdatesNewsroomReoptimizationBIOGRAPHIESAF Senior Leaders      Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III speaks with Airmen during a base visit, Dec. 14, 2014, at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. Welsh met with Airmen to thank them for their service and discuss the sacrifices and challenges experienced while deployed. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Kia Atkins)CSAF visits Team Al Udeid
                        
                        
                        Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III speaks with Airmen during a base visit, Dec. 14, 2014, at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. Welsh met with Airmen to thank them for their service and discuss the sacrifices and challenges experienced while deployed. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Kia Atkins)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res
        


        Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III, left, greets Airmen before attending a luncheon during his visit, Dec. 14, 2014, at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. Six Airmen assigned to Al Udeid were hand-picked to be coined by Welsh for their hard work and dedication to the mission. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Kia Atkins)CSAF visits Team Al Udeid
                        
                        
                        Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III, left, greets Airmen before attending a luncheon during his visit, Dec. 14, 2014, at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. Six Airmen assigned to Al Udeid were hand-picked to be coined by Welsh for their hard work and dedication to the mission. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Kia Atkins)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res

CSAF visits Al UdeidPublished Dec. 22, 2014
                    
                    By Senior Airman Kia Atkins
                    
                    
                    379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
            **AL UDEID AIR BASE, Qatar (AFNS) --**Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III met with Airmen and answered their questions about current Air Force issues during a visit Dec. 14, to Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar.
During his visit, Welsh stopped by the Combined Air and Space Operations Center and attended a luncheon with Airmen before finishing the day with an all call. 
“The number one reason I’m here is just to thank you,” Welsh said during an all call with Airmen. “You all don’t recognize how great you truly are. Everything you’ve done in this theater and in others is spectacular. You prove every day, that no one else can do it better.”
During the all call, the general posed a question to a young Airman in the audience regarding a hypothetical scenario involving the Airman’s mission-critical job. In reference to that scenario, Welsh asked, “Who is more important to the Air Force, me or you?” 
The Airman responded, “I am the most important.” 
The general firmly agreed, “There is no question that you are more important to the Air Force." He added, “Do me a favor. Never forget that. Never forget how critically important you are to what your unit does, to what this wing does, and what the United States Air Force does. Each of you is critically important to what we do and without you we wouldn’t be nearly as good of an Air Force.” 
Welsh provided Airmen answers straight from the top about current hot topics including force shaping, sequestration, sexual assaults, changes to enlisted and officer performance reports and the importance of every Airman’s role in the Air Force.
“Sometimes Airmen get distracted from their missions because they are worrying about the budget and sequestration,” he said. “Airmen of all ranks are talking about these issues and that’s not the stuff you need to be concerned with. Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Cody and I, are constantly fighting those battles for you, so that you all can fight the real battle.”
Wingmanship was another topic at the forefront of Welsh’s discussion with Airmen. He spoke about the importance of communication and why getting to know your fellow Airmen on a personal level is important for mission accomplishment. 
“I believe that most of the problems we’re having in the Air Force right now could be worked out if we knew each other better,” Welsh said. “You have to understand that every Airman has a story and until you know that story, you can’t lead that Airman. The better we know each other, the better we will be at taking care of each other.”
Welsh continued to stress the importance of wingmanship by adding, “Never forget how critically important each of you are to the U.S. Air Force,” Welsh said. “Without all of you doing your missions every day, we wouldn’t be as great of an Air Force as we are, so value the talent of the Airmen beside you.”
Welsh's remarks left a lasting impact on those in attendance, including Airman 1st Class Daniel Turner, a 379th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron missile and space facility maintainer, the Airman who Welsh posed his question to during the all call. 
“It’s great to hear that our Air Force leaders are looking out for us,” Turner said. “Most of the time we just see things from our perspective as Airmen and not necessarily the bigger picture, so I’m really grateful that Gen. Welsh took time to talk to us and let us know how they’re handling the issues we are facing.” 
After his visit, Welsh and his wife, Betty, continued their trip by visiting deployed Airmen at bases throughout the U.S. Central Command area of operations.Gen. Mark A. Welsh III 



Al Udeid 



AFCENT 



all call 



CSAF Featured News
        Senior Leader Priorities
                Kendall, Allvin, Saltzman urge modernization while warning Senate of delayed budgets
                    
                    Readout of Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall’s travel to the Philippines
                    
                    Air Force senior leaders visit Eielson AFB
                    
                    Air Force leaders focus on ACE during Kadena AB visit
                    
                    USAF senior leaders visit Mariana Islands on ACE tripInnovation
                F-16s arrive to be modified for autonomous testing
                    
                    AFWERX director discusses role of tech startups, quick innovation in Great Power Competition
                    
                    DAF delivers lethality at the speed of data during Project Convergence Capstone 4
                    
                    DAF welcomes industry partners to HQ development program
                    
                    DAF announces Spark Tank 2024 finalistsMAJCOM News
                Cope Tiger concludes in Thailand
                    
                    Safety enterprise announces new mission, vision, goals in 2024 strategic plan
                    
                    Air Combat Command welcomes new commander
                    
                    USAFE-AFAFRICA commander discusses Integrated Air, Missile Defense during Munich Security Conference
                    
                    Flosi to AFMC family: Embrace change, make every day count
 Quick Links
AccessibilityContact UsEqual OpportunityFOIA | Privacy | Section 508Information QualityInspector GeneralJAG Court-Martial DocketLink DisclaimerNo FEAR ActOpen GovernmentOSI Tip LinePlain LanguageQuestionsResilienceRSSSite MapVeterans Crisis LineCareers
Join the Air ForceAir Force BenefitsAir Force CareersAir Force ReserveAir National GuardCivilian ServiceConnect
            Get Social with Us
            
            Official United States Air Force Website
    Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil