PACOM chief shares views during base visit Published May 7, 2008 By Staff Sgt. Shad Eidson 354th Fighter Wing Public Affairs EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska -- During a tour of Eielson Air Force Base May 5 to 7, the U. S. Pacific Command Senior Enlisted Leader visited with several units to learn the missions first hand and how they directly support PACOM's mission, objectives and goals. Chief Master Sgt. James Roy also shared his views on several areas of the enlisted force within the theater and the impact they have to the mission. "Our Airmen, whether they are from here in Alaska or from Korea, Japan and Hawaii or throughout the embassies across the theater, continue to support the United States Pacific Command mission to engage with out partners and allies," Chief Roy said. PACOM is a large command representing 350,000 Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen. The command itself covers approximately 51 percent of the Earth and includes about 50 percent of the world's population in 39 countries. The command also has five of the seven mutual defense treaties for the United States. "PACOM Commander Admiral Timothy Keating's directive is one of relationship and capacity building across the theater," Chief Roy said. "This week alone, we have Airmen who are forward-deployed into places like Malaysia, who are there working with that partner nation doing such things as both ground and air safety." The RED FLAG-Alaska exercise is one of several Eielson missions that helps relationship building with America's partner nations. "I think RED FLAG-Alaska is certainly a benefit to the U.S. Pacific Command and to carrying out our mission," Chief Roy said. "Obviously Red Flag has ways of building that capacity and it builds relationships with our partners across the entire command." Within the PACOM theater, forces are constantly called to support other combatant commanders while still supporting a current operation ongoing in the southern Philippines. "Operation JSOF-P (Joint Special Operation Forces-Philippines) is an OEF-type mission," Chief Roy said. "We have Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines deployed and helping the Philippine nation and their armed forces to increase their capability." PACOM service members are sharing information to make sure the Philippine armed forces are in the right places with the capability to project that force, he said. "We are in a global war on violent extremists," said Chief Roy. "We are not picking out individual nations or religions. The U.S. Central Command theater of operations is not the only place where we have this type of concern." "We have the next 10 years to set the stage and determine what the next 100 years is going to be," Chief Roy said. "We have to continue to work with our partners and allies within the theater so they have the capability to combat those violent extremists." The chief added that everyone, not just enlisted and officers, but civilian workforce, contractors and interagencies assigned within the USPACOM theater, needs to understand those things. This is an area where Chief Roy sees PACOM service members supporting partner nation relationships every day. "It's not always our boots on the ground, but the indigenous forces," Chief Roy said. "If we help build their capacity, they are able to take care of a lot of their own humanitarian assistance and their disaster relief." As only the second USPACOM senior enlisted leader, Chief Roy followed a distinguished Marine and is charged by the PACOM commander with capacity building and professionalizing the enlisted forces of partner nations in the theater. "We are teaching the core values that we know in a way that helps nations continue to build their forces," Chief Roy said. "The one thing that is not the most challenging thing but the most rewarding is helping our partner nations build their militaries." PACOM forces are assisting in the Philippines in the development of an Airman Leadership School, NCO academy and joint sergeant major academy. And they want to use the United States military model for basic training. "The U.S. military enlisted force is one of envy across the world," Chief Roy said. "I think there are many people who try to emulate what we are. You can have a force that is well trained, well equipped. But it's the spirit of the U.S. service member that you can't replicate." He attributes this to leaderships' focus on important areas like taking care of its people. "Across the U.S. Pacific Command there are a lot of nations that want to have an enlisted force like ours regardless of the service," Chief Roy said. "And they simply can't get there because they haven't taken those steps. "Our leadership believes in us and believes that we are something to be cared for," Chief Roy said. "I consider every enlisted member, regardless of service, a true professional. We are a professional force unlike any other." Chief Roy relates the enlisted force to a weapon system. It's a weapons system that needs cared for, it needs modification from time to time and that's where professional military education is most effective, he said. "I will tell you across our theater, there are many nations that fear the U.S. military not because of its hardware, but because of its people. And that spirit that the people have," Chief Roy said. That starts with the people who volunteer to serve their nation. "You are much more worldly than when I came in," Chief Roy said. "I think the other thing today is the young men and women who come into the service, may have come in with a different reason than me and my peers. But without question, every young man and woman in [the service] today understands that we are a nation at war." "I think that sense of pride in our nation, esprit de corps, of being a part of something larger than themselves, resides in every one of our new Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen," Chief Roy said. "That is a challenge to my peers because we need to garnish that and capture that momentum to make sure that we use it properly. Our young service members have a lot of capability."