Wilsbach’s 1st Call to Airmen: ‘At Our Core, We Fly and Fix Aircraft’

Gen. Kenneth S. Wilsbach writes plainly in his first message to Airmen that the Air Force’s first and foremost priority is to “fly and fix so we are ready to fight.” 

Wilsbach was sworn in as the 24th Chief of Staff of the Air Force on Nov. 3 by Secretary of the Air Force Troy E. Meink, days after the Senate confirmed his nomination and his predecessor, Gen. David W. Allvin, left the Pentagon. 

The new Chief’s first missive is a single page, half as long as Allvin’s “Follow Through” message sent to the force when he took over, and a fraction of Gen. Charles Q. Brown, Jr.’s “Accelerate Change or Lose” white paper.  

“Our shared purpose is simple and enduring: to fly and fix so we are ready to fight,” Wilsbach said. “At our core, we fly and fix aircraft. It is the heart of who we are and what we do. Every Airman, no matter their specialty, contributes to the generation of airpower to support the joint fight.” 

Wilsbach’s focus on “flying and fixing” echoes his focus at his previous job leading Air Combat Command, where Wilsbach also stressed readiness and standards.  

“Readiness is our first responsibility,” he writes in the new letter. “Aircraft availability, aircrew proficiency, and the ability to generate combat power at scale are not just metrics, they are the measure of our credibility as a fighting force.” 

During his confirmation hearing, Wilsbach called for the increased investment in flying hours and spare parts, and Meink has called readiness the biggest challenge facing the service.  

Together, the two new leaders must weigh how to rebalance spending to maximize both near-term readiness and long-term modernization. Wilsbach vowed in his letter “we will continue to modernize to win today and into the future.” He cited the new F-47 Next-Generation Air Dominance fighter, Collaborative Combat Aircraft, the B-21 Raider bomber, and the Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile as priorities.

“We will update our existing fleets where viable,” Wilsbach wrote. “Just as important, we must shorten the time it takes to move from concept to combat power while empowering our innovators to move faster.” 

Wilsbach pledged to keep the Air Force’s “warrior culture” at “an all-time high,” writing that “our warrior culture is built on standards—technical excellence, accountability, and pride in our profession.”  

While at ACC, Wilsbach called out what he called a “discernible decline” in Air Force standards, including a lack of commitment and enforcement from leaders at all levels. He directed increased inspections, which were subsequently implemented across the service.  

Taking over in the midst of a government shutdown in which Air Force civilians have gone unpaid and many families are missing spouses’ paychecks, and where military pay could be in jeopardy if the shutdown extends past mid-month, Wilsbach also pledged to focus on families: “We will continue to support family readiness, develop our leaders, and ensure every Airman knows they are the bedrock of our success,” he wrote.  

“Air superiority is not guaranteed. It must be earned every day,” Wilsbach concluded. “It depends on our readiness, our modernization, and above all, our people. Every Airman has a role to play in ensuring the United States Air Force remains the world’s most capable, most lethal, and most respected fighting force. I’m excited to see the ingenuity and the capability of our Airmen. Fight’s on!”

Read the full memo: