RL Article For Airmen. Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley

Day 1,806, 19:49 Published in USA Ireland by JDKoda

WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley used his keynote speech at the 2012 Air Force Association Air and Space Conference and Technology Exposition here Sept. 17 to discuss the importance of caring for Airmen.

"Whatever the intensity of our nation's demands, in war or in peace, we have an abiding obligation to this institution that we know and love at the United States Air Force to develop and retain quality Airmen of character...who earn and deserve the trust placed in them by the American people," Donley said.

The secretary addressed one of the force's more troubling issues: suicide. According to the Department of Defense, there were 110 suicides across the military in 2010. In 2011, there were 122. By June 2012, there were already 140 across all the services. Earlier this year, Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta called it one of the most complex and urgent problems facing the department.

"As you know, this problem is not unique to our service, and it is not unique to our military, but we must do all we can to strengthen Airmen's resiliency, and look out for our wingmen in order to prevent these irreversible tragedies," Donley said.



by Tech. Sgt. Julie Weckerlein
Air Force Public Affairs Agency
😁All Credit for this article goes to the above named