"Back to basics" for the BLAZE Team

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. Jeffrey Weger
  • 14th Flying Training Wing Commander's Action Group
COLUMBUS AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. --  Colonel Roger Watkins, 14th Flying Training Wing commander, held a commander's call with members of the Columbus BLAZE Team Tuesday at Kaye Auditorium to discuss key issues guiding today's Air Force and Columbus AFB.

Many new initiatives and policy changes stand to impact the Air Force a great deal and Colonel Watkins wanted to emphasize the role of every Airman in shaping our future.

Colonel Watkins reiterated the importance of the "back to basics" policy set forth by the Air Force Chief of Staff, General Norton Schwartz. Several high-profile Air Force mishaps in the past months, such as the B-52 which flew over the United States armed with nuclear weapons and the shipment of ballistic missile fuses to Taiwan have been a result of personnel failing to emphasize basic checklists and procedures while performing their duties. Colonel Watkins discussed the meaning of the BLAZE acronym as how it relates to our everyday duties as a reminder of the importance of the basic tenets of military service.

The Air Force must work to regain the public trust and confidence of the American people. Colonel Watkins told the Airmen gathered, "Each and every one of you is a leader. Cultivate your leadership skills because you never know when you might be called upon to exercise them in combat."

A prime example was Major Stanton Shuttleworth, 50th Flying Training Squadron, who earned the Bronze Star for his service in Iraq and was decorated at the beginning of one of the briefings.

Colonel Watkins closed by saying, "I want to thank each and every one of you on our BLAZE team, for making the 14th FTW the premier unit in the Air Education and Training Command."