AWC guest speaker emphasizes importance of accountability
Posted 9/21/2012 Updated 9/21/2012
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by Rebecca Burylo
Air University Public Affairs
9/21/2012 - MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Al -- Maj. Gen. Roger W. Burg, commander of the 20th Air Force, AF Global Strike Command, at Francis E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyo., spoke to Air War College students and faculty recently on the importance of senior leader accountability, focusing on the tough decisions that people in leadership positions have to make, not the organization, according to Burg.
"The Air Force doesn't decide to do anything. People decide. This institution never makes a decision, and it's important for our students to know they're going to be those decision-makers,"
explained Burg.
In his lecture, Burg related his experiences and challenges facing the nuclear enterprise, an area in which he has worked for more than 30 years. He told students that once they are assigned to a command position, they will be called to make hard decisions, like the removal of a team member.
"You have to be willing to make those decisions. It's not personal. You're not hurting someone. You're hurting your organization if you don't remove somebody who's not doing their job," said Burg. "We've got too many examples of people not doing their job, leading to somebody dying. That's unacceptable. Leaders have to make the hard decisions."
Entering the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1978, Burg followed the space and missile career field and has served assignments at Strategic Air Command, U.S. Space Command, U.S. Strategic Command, the Air Staff, the Joint Staff as well as the White House as Director for Nuclear Policy and Arms Control. |
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