Headquarters Third Air Force

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Lt Gen Rod BishopCommander

Third Air Force Commander’s Call

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Overview

Spiritual Fitness: Chaplain Biscotti Savings / SGLI: Chief Klukas 3 AF Priorities: Lt Gen Bishop

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A New Approach To Suicide Prevention:

Developing Purpose-Driven Airmen

Capt Biscotti

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Purpose

To equip Air Force leaders with a practical tool to motivate

themselves and others at the deepest levels possible: “purpose” and “destiny”

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Current Problem

• In the last two years, completed suicides have escalated throughout the Air Force

• The Air Force’s current suicide prevention methodology may need adjustment; primarily to emphasize a holistic approach to suicide prevention

• The Air Force did not use spirituality as part of their suicide prevention briefing until 2005

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Major Causes of Suicide*

1. Depression is the most common underlying disorder, 30% to 70% of suicide victims suffer from major depression or bipolar (manic-depressive) disorder (NMHA).

2. No healthy person wants to die. Suicide occurs when an individual’s suffering is severe and he/she believes there is no hope for it to go away.

* Source: HealthyPlace.com

Dealing with suicide depends upon working on both aspects; Dealing with suicide depends upon working on both aspects; restoring hope, and having a plan to stop the sufferingrestoring hope, and having a plan to stop the suffering

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Need For A Commander’s ToolDeveloping Purpose-Driven Airmen

A. Army Regulation 165-1 Moral leadership training is a commander’s tool to address the moral, social, ethical, and spiritual questions that affect the climate of the command and the lives of all personnel assigned to the command…(11-2).

B. Air Force Policy Directive 52-1The Air Force Chaplain Service provides religious observances, pastoral care, and ethical advice to Air Force leaders; and ensures the free exercise of religion for Air Force personnel and their families…(1, 2.1).

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Developing Purpose-Driven Airmen

Dr. Rick Warren’s book, The Purpose Driven Life, provides a powerful model for Suicide Prevention, developing leaders, and making

troops combat ready and effective.

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“Purpose”: The object toward which one strives or for which something exists; aim, goal. A result or effect that is intended or desired.

“Drive”: To guide, control, and direct…

“Hope”: Someone or something on which expectations are centered.

Developing Purpose-Driven AirmenA Suicide Prevention Model

Two questions to ask every airman1. What is your purpose in life?2. How does the military fit into that

purpose?

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3 Levels of Purpose

What Motivates People?

PURPOSE IDEOLOGY MOTIVATION EXAMPLES

I. God Given Religious The Love of God George Washington

II. Man Given Philanthropy The Love of Man Karl Marx

III. Self Given Humanism The Love of Self Charles Darwin

• Most people are in category III• Category I is the most beneficial, because if you love

God (in a majority of world religions), you’ll love man and yourself

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What Purpose Does

1. Builds Morale

2. Reduces Frustration

3. Helps To “Focus” Effort

4. Attracts Cooperation

5. Assists Evaluation

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Efficient vs Effective

Doing things right: Doing the right things:

Rearranging deck Building life boats out of the

chairs on the Titanic deck chairs on the Titanic

Most of us are efficient, but we are not effective!

Burn out, depression, lack of motivation and fear happens to many efficient People.

Psychologist Rollo May said, “Man is the only animal that runs faster when he has lost his way.”

“A clear purpose not only defines what we do, it defines what we don’t do” (Warren).

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The Metaphysics of Hope

• Ultimately, if we don’t know where we came from, or where we are going, then we are lost!

• Where did we come from? = Origins of Hope

• Where are we going? = Origins of Purpose

• Let’s look at the big picture

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Contrasting Theories of Hope2 Ultimate Theories Explaining Our

Existence

Chance Design

• Charles Darwin• Random/Chaos• Man is center of the

universe• Self-focused• Man given purpose

• God/Spirit/Spiritual• Purpose/Design• God/Spirit is the

center of universe• God-focused• God given purpose

Do Ideas affect nations, families and people?Do Ideas affect nations, families and people?

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What’s The Big Idea?

2 NATIONSFormer Soviet Union Nations United States

Darwin/Marx/Lenin/Stalin Leaders Washington/Lincoln

Naturalism/Evolution/Atheism Ideologies Theism

Communism Politics Republic/Democracy

CONTRASTPeople in bondage People of Freedom

People of no hope People of hope/destiny

Purposeless model Purpose based model

USSR/discouraged people USA’s purpose

motivated people

Ideas Shape HistoryIdeas Shape HistoryIdeas Shape Our LivesIdeas Shape Our Lives

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Do Purpose and Hope Affect Families?

• Family #2 instilled purpose, hope and faith into their family, which positively and empirically affected the generations after him

• In contrast, Family #1 instilled little or no hope or purpose into their family, and it negatively and empirically affected the generations after him

Family #2Family #2929 descendants929 descendants

430 430 ministersministers75 authors75 authors

86 profs86 profs13 pres.13 pres.

7 Congress7 Congress3 3 govgov..1 VP1 VP

Family #1Family #11026 descendants1026 descendants

300300convictsconvicts

190190prostiprosti--tutestutes

680680alcoholicsalcoholics

Choosing Life (Hope) or Death (Hopelessness)

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Developmental Model Of Leadership“Leading Troops Into Leadership”

Infant Child Parent GrandparentConstant care moderate care able to reproduce themselves / care for

others

SelfFocus

• Our purpose as leaders is to help Airmen grow up, mature and reproduce themselves in others

• Research shows link between mental disorders, suicide and self-centeredness

• Many troops don’t grow up because they have no purpose for their lives; they lack direction, live for the “now” and don’t care about tomorrow

OthersFocus

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What Is Your Shape?

S piritual gifts

H eart (passion)

A bilities

P ersonality

E xperiences

Mother Theresa; compassion/service

Michelangelo…People excel at what they are passionate about!

Michael Jordan…What if parents wantedhim to be a doctor? Abilities- music, teaching, organization, leadership, family…

Introvert or Extrovert…

Life, vocational, spiritual, educational…

Help People Find Their Purpose By Discovering Their ShapeHelp People Find Their Purpose By Discovering Their Shape(Gifts, Abilities & Interests)(Gifts, Abilities & Interests)

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How? Sowing & Reaping

100 years ago, Samuel Smiles said:

Sow a thought and you reap an act

Sow an act and you reap a habit

Sow a habit and you reap character

Sow character and reap a destiny

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Bottomline

• Leaders: Motivate troops / people to succeed in all areas of life by helping them discover their purpose!

• Suicide prevention begins with giving people a life-long vision that is bigger than they are…

• Suicide Prevention is directly linked to purpose and hope

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FAITH is Foremost

Faith is only as strong as the object it is placed in

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Faith in self and in country…I. Pat Tillman- A Non-Religious Saint

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Pat Tillman: 1976-2004– Several of Tillman's friends have said the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist

attacks influenced his decision to enlist.

– "Pat Tillman is nothing if not unusual. In college, he played linebacker, where he was thought to be too small. In the NFL, he played safety, where he was thought to be too slow. When he set a club record for tackles in 2000 and attracted the interest of another team, the St. Louis Rams, he declined their five-year offer sheet out of loyalty to the club that had drafted him.”

– "You can do whatever you want with me," Tillman said, "but in four years I'm gone. I've got things to do with my life."

– "Pat knew his purpose in life," McGinnis said. "He proudly walked away from a career in football to a greater calling."

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Tillmans’ Dad at Pat’s Funeral

I'd like it understood that Pat somehow had the idea that he was part of the "big picture." He had high regard, and high hopes, for this country. He was proud to be part of it. But he wanted no free ride, and it bothered him that too much of his largess and opportunity was at the expense of others. What he did was sincere. He was well trained and did the job expected of a Ranger. He may have (and I believe did) saved American lives during his last battle. He earned his Silver Star, and not by dying. Had he survived this war, he would have had more to contribute to society than many; and that would have been fun to watch.

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Tillman’s Message

• Place FAITH in yourself

• Dream BIG

• Find What’s Important

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Ashley SmithFaith can change circumstances, outcomes and life…

Still, she has faced uncommon tragedy: Four years ago, her husband was stabbed in a fight and died in her arms. In the following years, some of her friends and family have described how Smith had not quite gotten her life together, and that her mistakes and problems had piled up.

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Ashley’s Story He said, "I don't want to hurt you. I don't want

to hurt anybody else, so please don't do anything that's going to hurt you." He said, "You know, somebody could have heard your scream already. And if they did, the police are on the way. And I'm going to have to hold you hostage. And I'm going to have to kill you and probably myself and lots of other people. And I don't want that."

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What do you do when faith in self might not be enough?

We went to my room. And I asked him if I could read. He said, "What do you want to read?“

"Well, I have a book in my room." So I went and got it. I got a book called "The Purpose-Driven Life.“

I turned it to the chapter that I was on that day. It was Chapter 33. And I started to read the first paragraph of it. After I read it, he said, "Stop, will you read it again?“

I said, "Yeah. I'll read it again.“ So I read it again to him.

It mentioned something about what you thought your purpose in life was. What were you -- what talents were you given? What gifts were you given to use?

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What Happened?

She went and picked up her daughter, Nichols turned himself in.

As experts look for lessons in Smith's accomplishment, they point out how she "textbooked" the hostage-mediation techniques outlined in the FBI's "Hostage Negotiating Stairway."

"If you can get somebody who is homicidal or suicidal to focus on the future, they have a chance to be filled with hope," says Mr. Bagnell. "She had faith in the fact that the outcome was something that she could influence, but not control."

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Ashley’s Message

• Place Faith in God

• Be compassionate

• Tell the truth

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III.My Story: Faith-Filled Future

Christian Louis Biscotti: 18 December 1969 -

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What do you say to someone in desperate circumstances?

“21 years ago, shortly after losing my stepfather to suicide and seeing our immediate family split apart, I transferred high schools my sophomore year to Yuba City high school in Northern California, and my first day of school I met my high school counselor. Out of 10 high school counselors, I was assigned to Neal Philbrick. I was lost in every way that day (that year), and Neal Philbrick became my best friend, spiritual father and life long counselor and confidant.”

“Nightmares to Dreams…”

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Wonderful Counsel/Counselor

“I lived with Neal my senior year of high school, and Neal helped me fill out all of my college applications and college scholarships and breathed hope and vision into my life when I thought I would never get accepted to college or have a future.”

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Christian’s Message

• Place faith in future (optimism)

• Faithful friends are an absolute

• Love people today as if they won’t be here tomorrow, especially your family

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Are your ready for your first tool?

Please open up both of your hands to receive this powerful tool…

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Tool #1: Impart Faith

• When Dreams die, People die…

• Dream with people, paint a picture of the future with them, share stories

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3 AF/CCC

Chief Marty Klukas

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Thrift Savings Plan Why Our Airmen Should Consider

$50 Per Month

$50 Per Month

$50 Per Month

$161K

$70K

$28K

At 8% Annual Return

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Why TSP?

A $100 per month contribution with a 7% Annual Return will result in large long-term earnings

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An SGLI Story

Air Force SSgt recently killed in helicopter accident in Italy

$3.50 /month for min coverage of $50K vs. $29 /month for max coverage

No other Life Insurance coverage Increase coverage amount on “to-do” list in wallet

Members’ family (wife and child) only paid $50K

Do you have enough coverage?

It’s recommended you have enough coverage to: Pay off house/mortgage Provide for children’s education Provide spouse with stable income until retirement benefits kick in

SGLI is low cost option for military members Automatically deducted from pay Max coverage of $400K and is guaranteed by the VA

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Ensure Your Family’s Security

If you do not have maximum coverage, do not skimp - get it now!

If you don’t have any other coverage Increase SGLI to maximum coverage Research and secure something if you have nothing Secure insurance that will provide maximum coverage

Don’t take the chance of not having a plan in place to secure your family’s future

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3 AF/CC

Lt Gen Rod Bishop

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“So, why are you here?”

“It ain't the money.”

“I say we are all here in this room because we believe. We believe in good and evil, and we choose good. We believe in right and wrong, and we choose right.”

“Our cause is just. Our enemies...everywhere. They're all around us.”

“Some scary stuff out there.”

Name the movie?

"The Recruit”

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3 AF Priorities

Focused Theater Security Cooperation& Component Integration

Outstanding Operational Support &Firepower to COMUSAFE and COCOMs Everyday

Airmen Trained, Poised and Well Cared For USAFE Wings ready to fulfill

AEF and NRF Obligations 3 AF Staff ready to run a JTF

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Focused TSC& Component Integration

UNCLASSIFIED

UNCLASSIFIED

Operational TSC FocusCountries

- Objectives- Objectives

- Mission Analysis- Mission Analysis

- Anticipated Areas - Anticipated Areas of Operationof Operation

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EUCOM

USAFE

3 AF

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Outstanding Ops Support & Firepower to COMUSAFE & COCOMs Everyday

Noble Endeavor support 12 x F-15Es 12 x F-15Cs

AEF 3/4 Deployments 634 taskings

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89 90 91 93 94 95 97 98 99 01 02 03 05 07

Airmen Trained, Poised and Well Cared For

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Impact of GWOT on AF Readiness

Readiness Has Declined 17% Since 2001

OPTEMPO and Operating a Smaller, Older Fleet the Underlying Cause

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GM vs Toyota Differences

GM posted largest annual loss for an auto company this week -- $38.7B GM sold only 3,000 more autos worldwide than Toyota in 2007 Toyota now worth more than Wal-Mart -- $196 billion GM has scrutinized Toyota’s Production System (TPS) for years – what

is the problem? Fundamental difference in culture – GM has a “business strategy”

(focus on cutting costs); Toyota has a “leadership strategy” (focus on developing its most important asset – its workforce)

Toyota workers in Japan submit 160 times more suggestions per year on improvements than US autoworkers

Toyota’s themes: continuous learning, test your product at lowest levels, make and implement improvements

Re-enforces my theme: Our greatest asset is the power of the human spirit in our Airmen

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Let’s Talk!Let’s Talk!

QUESTIONS?QUESTIONS?

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Questions?