CMSAF connects with Airmen at Yokota

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Cody H. Ramirez
  • 374th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan --  Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James Cody visited Yokota for two days, July 10-11, during his tour through the Pacific Air Forces Command, taking time to visit with Airmen and host all-calls with junior and senior enlisted and commissioned Airmen alike.

During the visit he often stopped to talk with Airmen one-on-one, asking them questions about their personal story and why they serve. He stressed the importance of connecting with Airmen and knowing the story of our coworkers and subordinates, something he and the Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh continue to stress.

"We all have a story, we all come from somewhere," Cody said during his interview. "I think it connects us in a way that we really solidify the bond that starts [with] becoming an Airman in the United States Air Force."

He said that developing a relationship built on trust and mutual respect is important for Airmen, and it begins with truly knowing each other.

Another key message Cody stressed was the importance of having a resilient and healthy lifestyle, one that builds strength in social, mental, physical and spiritual pillars.

"We are all going to go through tough times in our life, we are all going to face challenges in our personal and professional lives, so having some built up strength to work through those kind of things is important and that's what resiliency does for us," Cody said.

He added that he finds his personal source of resiliency at home.

"My family keeps me grounded [and] always has," he said. "If it isn't Athena, my wife, it's certainly my daughter and son."

Cody also mentioned the strengths he sees in the Air Force today.

"Our greatest strength is the diversity of our force," he said. "We have men and women come into our force from all segments of the globe [and] they bring in different backgrounds, different cultures and different beliefs and we bring that together."

And it is this diverse force that he said excites him about the future of the Air Force. He said the phenomenal young Airmen today prove every day to be an amazing group of individuals.

"They are extremely intelligent, they're the best trained, the most educated and the most experienced force the world has ever known and we [will] continue to capitalize on that in the future," Cody said.

Regarding Yokota and the Airmen that dedicate their daily work to accomplishing the mission, Cody commended their efforts and remarked on the importance of what they do for their country. He said it is critical to what America stands for--responding to and supporting their allies and partners world-wide--and to the stability in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.

"Thank you for the opportunity to visit with our Airmen here at Yokota," Cody added. "It's been a great pleasure."