The U.S. Air Force is advising its leaders to develop a “safe space” in which Airmen can take part in “healthy discussion” and “share perspectives” as part of what leaders are calling a “cultural shift” in the service.
The effort, called “Airmen’s Time,” was produced to advance the “wellness and advancement” of those serving in the Air Force, according to a copy of a memo procured by the Washington Free Beacon, which was sent out to “command teams and supervisors.”
“The intent of Airmen’s time is to create a safe space, be present, and ensure that our Air Force culture invites healthy conversation for every Airman…anytime, anywhere,” the memo states, encouraging service members to get together and “share perspectives and life lessons, discuss what values guide us, or what is our team’s purpose.”
The move belongs to an effort by the U.S. armed force under the Biden regime to change internal culture. The Army, for example, has actually mandated its soldiers go through training on gender identity and pronouns, the Free Beacon initially reported in March. Republican politicians in Congress and some in the armed force have actually slammed these efforts for pressing “woke” propaganda within the service.
“Building trust and belonging is never a one-time event—it is a daily commitment to those we serve,” the memo states. “To further advance this cultural shift, leaders at every level are entrusted to prioritize time to elevate connection, growth, and enhance the well-being of individual Airmen while building unity within their teams.”
Airmen’s Time, the memo continues, “is a way of life—not a program. Care cannot be outsourced. Getting to know and see our Airmen beyond the uniform is how we build connection. It must be intentional at every level to create trust and belonging. During these moments, we will continue to be open, show consideration, value differences, and seek to understand multiple perspectives.”
Eventually, the Air Force is looking to make the program “a part of what we do at the foundational level and a natural aspect of our Air Force way of life,” according to the memo.
The program currently appears to have actually been integrated into the Air Force’s schedule and training programs, according to products available on its site. This includes its main eight-and-a-half-week basic training schedule, which considers Airmen’s Time along with more conventional activities like physical training and flight drills.
Chief Master Sgt. JoAnne Bass informed Stars and Stripes the program “certainly isn’t new—many units have been doing it for years.” Rather, her memo “is meant as a call to action for our leaders to ensure we are devoting the time needed to help deliberately develop our Airmen.”
The Pentagon would not discuss the memo.
James Carafano, an Army veteran who runs nationwide security and defense policy programs at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, informed the Free Beacon that he has actually “never seen any analysis from the Pentagon which demonstrably proves the training has value that improves the readiness and capabilities of the armed forces.”
The federal government is “spending millions of dollars on programs that somebody just thinks is a good idea,” Carafano stated, including that there is no proof training of this nature benefits the force. “At the same time, we are taking service members away from their regular duties. This appears to be an initiative that is compromising on readiness for no commensurate benefit and indeed may risk hurting morale, unit cohesion, and individual performance.”
H/T The Washington Free Beacon
