Senior enlisted leaders from across the Air Force began mission command training in the Indo-Pacific area of responsibility, Oct. 20.
The six-day training, hosted by Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force David Flosi, will place senior enlisted leaders in resource-limited locations and scenarios to see the capabilities and limitations of agile combat employment deployments.
Mission command training is an evolution of the annual Senior Enlisted Leader Summit to better align with DAF reoptimization efforts and embrace employing a force development model, favoring small and dynamic teams focused on mission-centric skillsets over functional skill sets.
Mission command is a leadership philosophy where Airmen are empowered to operate in complex environments through understanding their commander's intent, which is essential to quick and effective execution, even if isolated from higher-level decision makers.
Senior enlisted leaders are a key component of executing mission command.
"Chiefs shape the environment, build solid plans and translate commander's intent into action," Flosi said. "This training will allow our enlisted leaders to fully understand the threats we face in Great Power Competition and see what agile combat employment will look like firsthand. This context will be essential as they advise Airmen to carry-out their missions."
There are six principles of mission command: provide clear commander's intent, create shared understanding, exercise disciplined initiative, build teams through mutual trust, accept prudent risk, and use mission-type orders - which focus on an operation's purpose versus details of performing assigned tasks - when appropriate.
"Our senior enlisted leaders' experience, expertise, and dedication are critical to the successful execution of mission command. With this mission command training, they will be the bridge between our strategic goals and the daily operations-bringing them to life," Flosi said.
This training comes after Flosi joined Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. David Allvin for a 10-day trip within the Indo-Pacific region, where both stressed the importance of readiness and understanding of the AOR.
Hosting the mission command training in the Indo-Pacific is vital for the senior enlisted training to help connect the senior leaders to what Airmen could experience while providing a ready force to deter pacing challenges.
