180th Fighter Wing Welcomes CMSAF Roy Published June 24, 2010 By Major Gary Bentley 180th Fighter Wing Executive Officer Swanton, Ohio -- Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Roy and his wife Paula recently visited the Toledo Air National Guard Base in Swanton Ohio while in the local area to attend a wedding reception. Chief Roy and Paula grew up and went to high school in nearby Monroe, Michigan. Colonel Mark Bartman, 180th FW Commander and CMSgt Michael Haas, 180th FW Command Chief provided Chief Roy with several briefings and a tour of key facilities at the base. Colonel Bartman's wife Christi and Mrs. Roy spent time with 180th FW Airmen and Family Readiness Program Manager Judy York, and attended several briefings Briefings attended by CMSAF Roy included information concerning the overall mission of the 180th Fighter Wing, Air Sovereignty Alert (ASA) mission, alternative energy field, and a briefing on the 200th Red Horse Squadron at Camp Perry. The chief and Mrs. Roy also had a walking tour of the ASA facility, Command Post, and the 10 acre solar field site. Army Lt. Col. Robert Bramlish, Ohio National Guard Family Readiness Program Director, also provided an in-depth briefing to the Roys concerning the dynamic and diverse programs in place to assist all military members and families in Ohio. A luncheon was held in the 180th dining facility and was attended by the Wing's 2009 Airmen of the Year category winners. Chief Roy interacted with the group during lunch and engaged in a question and answer session with them afterwards. At the conclusion of his visit, Chief Roy answered questions on a variety of topics: What do you think is the biggest challenge today for enlisted members? I would say that trying to couple deployments with education and training is a great challenge. Many of our younger members are gaining extensive combat experience because of the changing direction of the Air Force. We need to make sure we are balancing education and training needs of the members with mission demands of the Air Force. Your opinion of the importance of fitness in today's Air Force? This goes directly to mission readiness. Today's environment requires physically fit members. In addition, health care costs are greater when members are not fit. Can you comment on your perception of the Air National Guard when you initially entered active duty contrasted with your current perception? There is clearly no such thing as a weekend warrior in today's Air Force. We are at war and we certainly need all components of the Air Force to integrate seamlessly. Back during the cold war the Guard and Reserve members were in garrison and were not as much of an operational force. What do you believe are the most important values an enlisted leader in the Air Force should have? The core values of the Air Force are an excellent foundation. Character, integrity, serving others, excellence, and the knowledge that all of this is not about ourselves. How has your family impacted your career and how has your career impacted your family? When I joined the Air Force Paula and I were already married. This clearly had an impact on our view of the Air Force and the needs we had. We now have two young children and this helps me understand what many of our younger Airmen are going through. My job and my family both demand a lot of time. Balancing these two factors is critical to success. Buckeyes or Wolverines? Detroit Red Wings. Chief Roy concluded his interview by thanking Col Bartman and stated that it was a great visit. "This was a fantastic trip that has helped us continue to understand the uniqueness of guardsmen and their families," said Chief Roy. He added that it is obvious that the 180th Fighter Wing is critical to the defense of our nation.