Commander Naval Air Forces

Wings of Gold, Fall 2004 by Zortman, Jim

I am honored and privileged to have been in command of the Naval Air Forces for four months. Naval Aviation is on a good course and we have achieved some real successes - I want, to reaffirm this course, reiterate who we are and what we do, and discuss the way ahead.

The Global War on Terrorism Our nation is at war - winning the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) will continue to be our number one priority.

The War on Terrorism is a war that the country did not seek. It is a war that has been thrust upon the nation by acts of terror against our citizens in our homeland. It is, however, a war in which we will ultimately prevail. Everything we do should support and enable this mission.

The key to this is "warfighting excellence" - it's the bottom line for all who serve in Naval Aviation. Your performance and mission success during Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom have proved the capability, flexibility, and value of Naval Aviation. You have clearly demonstrated the inherent readiness and warfighting capability in our institution. From our senior leaders, to our most junior officers, chief petty officers and Sailors, first and foremost we must all be unbeatable warriors - winning in combat is the reason we exist.

Naval Aviation Enterprise

Integral to a flexible, agile and responsive warfighting force are readiness and safety. Within our finite resources, we must achieve the proper amount of readiness at the right time - we cannot and will not accept anything less or pay for anything more . It's how we will be ready to fight today, and buy the force, people and equipment that will make us ready to fight in the future. Naval Air Forces has demonstrated that we can learn to do our business - the business of warfighting -smarter.

By teaming with other stakeholders such as NAVAIR and by learning from other institutions around us, Naval Aviation will adopt an enterprise approach to our business. That enterprise approach is about improving efficiency and effectiveness.

We have studied our methods and traditions and learned much about who we are. We have taken carefully measured risks and developed tools to aid us in our quest for improvement and efficiency. Sortie-based readiness, AFAST (Aviation Financial Analysis Tool), AirSpeed (the integration of best business practices), aircraft inventory and service life management have all been developed from the rigorous, painstaking analysis that you have performed on how we in Naval Aviation operate. We have improved and refined the way we conduct those tasks that are basic to our capability, and carefully divested ourselves from those tasks that are not.

From ship maintenance and lifecycle upgrades to "IT" (information technology) architecture and officer and enlisted career management. From the flying hours program and O and I-level maintenance to the alignment of the fleets and training organizations. Naval Air Forces and the Naval Aviation Enterprise will continue to build as the benchmark for excellence and effectiveness in warfighting.

Focus on Safety

Safety is about preserving our most precious resource - people -and the ships, aircraft and equipment with which our nation has entrusted to us. Safety is achieved through discipline and supervision. Cost-wise readiness and safety directly enable warfighting excellence-these elements are linked and are essential leadership responsibilities. The (progress and successes that we have achieved in our safety record have been dramatic, but there continues to be challenges ahead.

Every day requires Naval Air Forces to maintain and build readiness in order to be prepared to project power and presence around the globe. This is not a small or simple task. Naval Aviation needs to operate safely every day, while excelling in hostile, demanding and hazardous environments. Carriers and carrier air wings, Maritime Patrol squadrons, helicopter detachments, expeditionary squadrons and every other element of Naval Air Forces are deployed right now performing superbly.

Continuing Naval Aviation Excellence

That ongoing commitment and requirement is ubiquitous but its successful accomplishment alone is not sufficient. Naval Air Forces must not accept the excellence of the present alone. We must continue to shape our force and learn new ways to lead our people and manage our material resources. We must seek new and innovative ways to produce and apply readiness.

I am counting on you, the leadership in the Naval Air Forces, to make sure Naval Aviation will fight and win today, and afford the force that will ensure we win in the future. This will not always be easy, but assertive, honest communication up and down the chain of command is key to keeping the force properly aligned and focused on what we must do in order to achieve victory in the GWOT, win the battle for people and achieve cost-wise readiness.

Finally, I believe it's important to remember who we are. These are words you will recognize, but they bear repeating. They represent the constancy of purpose and steady course that has existed since they were written by ADM John Nathman, expanded by VADM Mike Malone, and will be built on during my time as the Air Boss: