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AFDW charges ahead in 2012

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Tabitha N. Haynes
  • Air Force District of Washington Public Affairs
JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. --  Air Force District of Washington Commander Maj. Gen. Darren W. McDew held the first commander's call of 2012 in the Jacob E. Smart Center on Joint Base Andrews, Md., Feb. 2.

Themes for the call included resiliency, voter rights/responsibilities, and executing AFDW's vision.

The general began the call by thanking AFDW Airmen for the tremendous job they did in 2011. He told them they are off to a great start in 2012 but there is one area that needs immediate improvement - not just within AFDW, but across the Air Force.

"We are hitting record numbers of suicides already this year and deaths due to vehicle accidents," he said. "We need to check each other out and ask questions when we see our Airmen struggling."

The general promoted the Air Force resiliency program and encouraged each member of AFDW to look out for each other. Likening the command to a family, General McDew said AFDW is small enough for individuals to know each other and socialize together regularly. He said he wants AFDW to be "a place you want to come to work."

Also on McDew's topic list were exercising the right to vote and the rules of conduct regarding political campaigning for service members and civilian employees.

"I cannot order you to vote," he said, "but I can suggest it. We will give you all the tools in the world to vote and get out there and exercise your constitutional rights, and I would say obligation.

"There are some rules as government employees about things we should not and cannot do [with regard to voting] and they are in fact based in law," he said. "Active duty personnel may not attend partisan political events in uniform nor may they march or ride in a partisan parade regardless or not their in uniform."

The general also cautioned vehicle owners/operators from displaying partisan materials larger than a traditional bumper sticker and said political signs may not be displayed from an on-base residence. He cautioned against distributing campaign literature in the federal work place and employees seeking to influence other DoD employees - except to encourage voting in general. He also said campaign activities on military installations are strictly prohibited.

"You have many rights as a government employee and nothing I say is meant to imply you should not fully exercise every right that we have given you under stature," McDew said. "But there are rules and laws are in place for good reason and I expect you to adhere to them."

General McDew wrapped up his comments by asking the crowd to ponder a few questions including, "What are we going to do in 2012?"

"2012 for me is about defining our core. Last year we talked about a number of things but this year what I want to do is further define what AFDW is," he said. "What we are about? What we are going to stand for? What things are important to us as a command to do and what should we stop doing?"

McDew said part of AFDW's core this year should be defining customer relationships within the NCR, the [Headquarters Air Force] and with its worldwide mission. He challenged the team to figure out which missions are being performed because AFDW has always been doing them, and which missions are being performed because they are required either by regulation, law or written into a planning document.

"Let's codify what we do for [our customers], how we do it, and what their expectations are for us," he said. "Let's reach out to the customer base we think we have and touch base with them. What I want to do this year is establish that line of communication with them. We can be the Air Force's major command in the NCR," said McDew.

After saying farewell to all team members leaving the command, the general ended his commander's call by addressing the newest arrivals.

"All of you who [PCSed to AFDW], you're joining a great organization," the general said. "I didn't say a 'good' organization I said a 'great' organization. This is a great place to come to work; a place where you can make an impact and not just the NCR but around the world. Welcome and I look forward to meeting you."