-
The Air Force is facing some backlash over the new mandatory gate greeting.
-
Altus Air Force Base personnel chant “Victory Begins Here!” The script mocked the gate guards. Greetings, an internal email displays.
-
The mandatory salute is part of a broader cultural change within the Air Force.
Gate guards at an Air Force base in Oklahoma have been the target of ridicule over a new mandatory salute, according to an internal email.
The message, recently sent by local senior enlisted leader MSgt. Bradley Ofar warned the guards, known as the Defenders, not to joke, to deliver a scripted line: “Good morning, sir/ma’am. Welcome to Altus AFB. Here begins the victory!”
“I am sorry to write this to all of you, but it is necessary,” the email said. “Anyone who disrespects the defenders will be held accountable.” The message warned that the military could face charges under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, while civilian employees could be reported to their supervisors.
The message included a sampling of the responses guards have faced at the gates since February 4:
-
“Don’t tell me that anymore.”
-
“You don’t have to tell me that crap when I come.”
-
“You sound like a Walmart greeter.”
Others have dismissed the greeting as “stupid” and “dumb,” according to the message, which the Air Force confirmed.
A spokesperson for Altus Air Force Base told Business Insider that “victory starts here” is its “base philosophy.”
“We uphold a culture of professionalism and respect for everyone who visits our base, which is emphasized by the new Air Force-wide policy,” the spokesman said, adding, “Disrespect toward any member of our community will not be tolerated.”
Located in Altus, Oklahoma, the base is home to the Army’s largest cargo plane, the C-17 Globemaster III, and courses that train pilots in another unit that trains personnel on notoriously complex refueling missions. Altus AFB supports approximately 2,000 permanent military personnel and employs a large number of civilian workers.
Business Insider wants to hear from Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines who want to share their perspectives on cultural changes within the military. Reach this reporter at kbaker@businessinsider.com or safely signal at kelseybaker75.75.
The base needed a new salute after Air Force chief Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach and top enlisted airman, Master Sergeant David Wolff, sent a Jan. 30 memo addressing the base salute.
“The way we greet each other is important,” the memo said. “Professional greetings—at establishment entry control points and in interactions with the public—should be standard. First impressions set the tone and, when combined with a professional image, reinforce trust, authority and pride.”
That memo referenced another base where gate guards told drivers “The fight continues!” He greets them.
“At one of our major bases, defenders greet patrons with ‘Good morning, Sir/Ma’am/General/Chief’. Welcome to ____ AFB. The fight is on!” The memorandum was read.
“This simple phrase,” it continued, “signifies entry into a military installation guarded by vigilant guards and reflects our identity within the profession of arms. Every installation must ensure that professional salutes are consistently practiced.”
The new mandates are the latest sign of what appears to be a broader cultural shift within the Air Force. The service last year introduced new quarterly uniform and fitness inspections – later scaling them back to once a year – and tightened grooming standards.
Read the original article on Business Insider
