Capitol Hill inspires Minot service member Published Sept. 1, 2015 By Master Sgt. Nancy Auger 5th Medical Group MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- Last month, I was selected to accompany Maj. Gen. Richard Clark, 8th Air Force commander, and Chief Master Sgt. Marty Anderson, 8th Air Force command chief, on a trip to Capitol Hill. Auger was selected to accompany Clark and Anderson to Capitol Hill because the commander wanted to take an annual award winner with him during his visit, and Auger said she was fortunate enough they selected to bring the SNCO of the Year. The trip is an annual occurrence for the 8th Air Force commander and command chief. During this annual trip for the 8th Air Force leaders, I observed first hand as they networked and advocated for improvements based on their visits to Air Force Global Strike Command's wings. The trip encompassed 20 office calls with members of the Senate and the House of Representatives, ensuring the civilian leaders responsible for strategic decision making were fully informed and engaged regarding 8th Air Force concerns. Ultimately, the Senate and House Representative's interest to help the bases located within their respective states will benefit the entire Air Force. The first point Clark and Anderson emphasized during the calls was modernizing the fleet. The B-52 bombers are expected to remain in service until 2040, but they are still using the same engines installed in the 1950s. Ten years ago it cost $267,000 to overhaul a single engine -- today it costs $1.8 million. Parts are becoming scarcer, and the increasing age is only driving the costs up. During the call, our leaders expressed that new engine efficiencies would save the Air Force money on fuel, reduce maintenance workload demands and increase the plane's loiter time in an Area of Responsibility. The Air Force is developing a business case analysis justifying the return on investment. The next main point 8th Air Force leadership highlighted was manning. Our force is the smallest it has ever been since standing up in 1947. In recent years, the Air Force had to reduce overall end strength from 314,000 to 310,000 then up to 312,000 due to budget restraints. Clark and Anderson advocated for supporting Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. Mark A. Welch's proposed 317,000 end strength for 2016. This would allow critical vacancies to be filled in high demand Air Force specialty codes while increasing readiness and flexibility. The last point discussed was quality of life. In May, the Senate Armed Service Committee made recommendations for changes to basic allowance for housing, and the 2016 defense authorization bill contained language stating only one member of a dual-service couple should earn the entitlement. This suggestion targets dual-military couples and would have a disproportionate effect on female service members. Twenty percent of active-duty women are a part of a mil-to-mil couple compared to less than four percent of active-duty men. Eighth Air Force leadership articulated how this is a direct conflict with each military member serving in their own right and would negatively impact the diversity we advocate for leveraging mission success. It was easy to see our leaders have been listening and are taking actions to resolve issues impacting our Airmen. I learned a lot about "big" Air Force issues, but I also realized some leadership and life lessons. At this "seasoned" point in my career, I was honored to be selected for this experience. I was re-blued and it taught me if I want to motivate my Airmen, I need to invest in them too. During the office calls, Clark would deliberately solicit for my input as a mil-to-mil service member. I have never felt more empowered, and I realized if I want to empower my Airmen, I have to give them a voice too. I learned that we must evaluate our decisions for second and third order effects on diversity, and we can never tire in the fight for an inclusive force.