Empower a competitive and resilient warfighting team to project and sustain the Joint Force (Part 4 of 4-part series)

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. (Feb. 28, 2022) – U.S. Air Force Gen. Jacqueline D. Van Ovost, commander, U.S. Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM), recently shared her priorities for the command and the Joint Deployment and Distribution Enterprise (JDDE). This is the last installment in a four-part series that explores the intent of each priority. 

Empower a Competitive and Resilient Warfighting Team. People are our most valuable resource and will make the difference between victory and defeat. Leaders must prioritize investing in our People to build and hone the critical skills required to compete and win. A competitive and resilient team is one which thrives on challenge and “stays hungry” – focused on improving every day, and constantly striving to add value. Our leaders will empower those on our team by providing clear intent and guidance, fostering and rewarding innovative approaches, and using honest mistakes as opportunities to learn and improve. Investing in our People includes fostering an environment in which all are treated with dignity and respect, and in which resilience is strengthened by demonstrating that we value the Families in our command, as well as the personal wellbeing of all. One of our key strengths is the diversity of our team. We will maintain an inclusive environment where we welcome differing backgrounds and encourage varied perspectives.

“Our people are the most important asset to the JDDE,” said Van Ovost. “They are vital to our mission to project and sustain combat credible forces whenever and wherever our Nation requires.”

According to Van Ovost, every day USTRANSCOM members underwrite the lethality of the Joint Force, advance our nation’s interests globally, and provide our leaders with strategic flexibility while creating multiple dilemmas for our adversaries.

“Our success is a direct representation of your daily efforts, and why it’s essential that we Empower a Competitive and Resilient Warfighting Team,” she said.

USTRANSCOM’s Senior Enlisted Leader, U.S. Navy Fleet Master Chief Donald O. Myrick, affirmed this priority as fundamental to the command’s success.
 
“It’s our job as leaders to articulate clear guidance, inspire and focus innovation, and motivate our teams to stay hungry, fostering a culture where everyone strives to add value to the mission,” said Myrick.

Van Ovost said our strategic environment is evolving rapidly, and we will be operating at a pace and scale we’ve never seen before.

“The stakes are high. We must encourage innovation within the enterprise, and to maintain and build systemic advantages – we must take disciplined risks,” she said. “TRANSCOM thrives when we invest in our people and allow them to develop more effective ways to operate.”

Further, she said trust is foundational to high-performing teams, and the baseline of trust is inclusion and treating everyone with dignity and respect.

“Our strength is our diversity,” said Van Ovost. “We must demonstrate that each member is valued, which gives them the confidence to speak up. Differing perspectives bring better solutions to our complex problems.”

Myrick added the well-being of our teammates, professionally and personally, is critical to our triumph.

“Family time and relationships outside of the workplace are vital to staying refreshed and healthy. Take time to cultivate relationships, spend time with loved ones, and participate in activities that build your resiliency,” he said.

Accentuating that people are TRANSCOM’s most valuable resource, Van Ovost said, “Thank you for being the heartbeat of this command and for all you do to support our Joint Force. Your efforts will be the difference between victory and defeat. Together, we deliver!”

USTRANSCOM exists as a warfighting combatant command to project and sustain military power at a time and place of the nation’s choosing. Powered by dedicated men and women, TRANSCOM underwrites the lethality of the Joint Force, advances American interests around the globe, and provides our nation's leaders with strategic flexibility to select from multiple options, while creating multiple dilemmas for our adversaries.

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