Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh on Wednesday wished airmen a Happy New Year and expressed optimism about the coming year. “Despite the budgetary uncertainty, the fiscal cliff, or whatever else time and circumstances throw at us, I believe 2013 will be a great year for our Air Force!” he wrote in his Jan. 2 letter to airmen. Welsh reminded airmen that the service’s demographics have changed, and “images, songs, stories, or ‘traditions’ that are obscene, vulgar, or that denigrate some percentage of airmen are not the things we value” and don’t jibe with the service’s proud heritage. He said last month’s service-wide health and welfare inspection was meant “to get serious about eliminating environments conducive to sexual harassment or unprofessional relationships” and to drive home the point that “the Air Force succeeds because of the professionalism and discipline” of its airmen. Welsh said he’d be issuing a CSAF Vector for 2013 in a couple of weeks to share insights on topics like “what the Air Force values for promotion,” performance reports, and any required adjustments.
President Donald Trump’s nominee for Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff touted his highly unusual background for the job as an asset and reaffirmed his commitment to stay apolitical during a confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee on April 1.