 Hello, everyone. I'm Lloyd Austin, Secretary of Defense. I want to thank you for participating in this stand-down and I thank your leadership for supporting this important initiative. And let me say right at the outset that there is not a single doubt in my mind that you take seriously your oath to the Constitution and that you serve this country with honor and dignity and character and that you believe in and uphold our core values each and every day. Many of you have deployed in harm's way to defend those values and some of you are in harm's way at this very moment. And I want you to know that I'm grateful for that. I also want you to know that your fellow citizens are grateful for that. You see, we understand the sacrifices that you and your families are making to defend this nation. And we know a stand-down like this can seem like yet another task to undertake, another burden. But the truth of the matter is we need your help. I'm talking, of course, about extremism and extremist ideology. Views and conduct that run counter to everything that we believe in, in which can actually tear at the fabric of who we are as an institution. You know, I've seen this before. I've lived through it as a soldier and as a commander. It's not new to our country and sadly it's not new to our military. What is new is the speed and a pervasiveness with which extremist ideology can spread today, thanks to social media and the aggressive and organized and emboldened attitude that many of these hate groups and their sympathizers are now applying to their recruitment and to their operations. You know, it concerns me to think that anyone wearing the uniform of a soldier or a sailor, an airman, marine or guardian or coast guardsman would espouse these sorts of beliefs, let alone act on them. But they do. Some of them still do. We've got to be better than that. And not just for ourselves and the sort of work environment that we want to cultivate for each other, but also for the country and the very idea of what the United States represents to the world. And that's the discussion that I want you to have today. I want you to revisit the oath that you took when you joined the military and when you reenlisted or got promoted. Read those words again. Consider what they really mean. And think about the promise that you made to yourselves and to your teammates and to your fellow citizens. I also want you to share with your leadership your own personal experiences with encountering extremist and extremist ideology in the military. Should you have any? And I want your leadership to listen to those stories. And I want them to listen to any ideas that you might have to help us stamp out of the ranks the dangerous conduct that this ideology inspires. And so I want you to remember also that we've got important things to do, ladies and gentlemen. We have serious commitments around the world. And people depend on us. So we can't afford actions and behavior that are at odds with our values and that undermine good order and discipline, that harm or harass and otherwise violate the oath that we share and the bonds of trust upon which we all rely. Again, thank you for what you and your families do each and every day. Thank you for upholding your oath and thank you for helping us get smarter about dealing with this very important readiness issue. I'm proud to be on your team. Hello, everyone. I am John Roth, Acting Secretary of the Air Force. I'd like to begin by saying that as a Department of the Air Force leadership team, we are grateful for the sacrifices you and your loved ones make to keep America safe. As airmen and guardians, our success protecting the nation depends on our trust. Trust to execute the mission with the discipline and precision. Trust that your fellow airmen and guardians have your back and trust that each member of our air and space forces has a character to do what is right. It is because of you. The US military has remained one of America's most trusted and respected institutions for decades. We know that the vast majority of airmen and guardians serve in accordance with the oath that they took to protect and defend the Constitution and to uphold our laws, policies, and maintain the highest standards at all times. Sadly, we are not immune to extremism in our ranks and this extremist behavior erodes good order and discipline and is a threat to the trust and respect we've worked hard to build. It has been exposed in recent events such as the insurrection on our nation's capital and left unchecked would divide the cohesive teams we require to win. We cannot and will not tolerate extremist behaviors and ideologies. They go against the fundamental principles of the oath we all took when signing up to serve this great nation. Eliminating extremism in our service is critical and by no means can be accomplished in a one and done engagement. We must all remain on the watch, united. Today we need you to employ our values towards building a better department. We ask that you have the openness to share your experiences, engage in respectful, hard conversations and listen to each other. Find the gray areas and the guidance you've been given and help us ensure this policy is executable at the unit level. And after you've had those conversations, don't stop engaging with each other and upholding the core values and the professional arms. There's an enduring responsibility that requires constant attention, services of calling, one that sets us apart from other organizations and one that requires an unwavering commitment to each other, our values, the Constitution and the model that adorns the seal of the United States. E-Propress unit out of many one. Thank you again for what you do every day. Only together built on the foundation of trust and respect, can we make meaningful, lasting change. Extremism in any form has no part in it. We are proud of you and proud to serve with you as part of the world's greatest air and space forces. Thank you. teammates. Chief Tumen and I are incredibly thankful for what each of you do each and every day to accomplish our mission, to take care of each other and to keep our wing and community moving forward. Each of you play a very important role and we couldn't do our jobs and our missions without you. However, recent events in our nation and in particular the events on January 6th in our nation's capital have made it necessary to pause and address our differences and improve how we work together. This month as directed by the Secretary of Defense, I'm asking all units within the 55th wing, including our wing staff agency to take a day to focus on combating extremism within our ranks. Now, Chief and I know the overwhelming majority of you are doing the right thing and for that, we are grateful. Therefore, the focus of this tactical pause is education. We want each of you to gain a better understanding of what extremism is, what activities are prohibited, and what you should do should you observe this behavior. So what does extremism in our ranks look like? As many of you probably expect, there is formal guidance to help us define what extremism is and what characteristics it encompasses. We draw our guidance primarily from two sources. At the DOD level, DODI 1325.06 provides us with broad intent. The Air Force has also given us guidance via AFI 51-508, which provides clear definition and recommended courses of action. Military personnel cannot actively advocate or participate in extremist doctrine, ideology, causes, or activities. How does the Air Force define extremist activity? A great foundation to work from asks these questions. Does the ideology or activity advocate or advance illegal discrimination based on race, creed, color, sex, religion, ethnicity, or national origin? Or does it encourage or promote the use of force, violence, or otherwise advance efforts to deprive individuals of their civil rights? Specifically, AFI 51-508, paragraph 3-4-2-4, states that an extremist doctrine, ideology, or cause is characterized by, but is not limited to, a common belief which might otherwise be politically or socially acceptable, but that espouse the use of threat of force of violence to obtain their goals. If the activity or ideology promotes these elements, then we, as a military member, are prohibited from actively participating. Your unit leadership will cover the formal guidance in greater detail and help answer your questions. Like Chief Bass said, we cannot and will not tolerate extremist behavior. The definition and framework provided by Chief Tumen gives us a solid foundation to work from. But what should we do if we encounter such behavior activity within our ranks? Secretary Austin's guidance to share with your leadership, your encounters with extremism is absolutely critical to helping eliminate extremism in our ranks. I encourage you to discuss your concerns with your supervisor, your first sergeant, superintendent, or commander. However, I acknowledge that there may be times when you may not feel comfortable bringing up these concerns through your chain of command. Other perfectly acceptable avenues are the Equal Opportunity Office, your local OSI office, or your legal office. These agencies are full of wisdom, professionalism, and expertise, and I am positive they are ready and able to address your concerns about extremist activities within our wing or within the Air Force. It is all of our responsibility to foster and maintain an environment free of discrimination, hate, and harassment. By doing this, we can keep the trust that General Brown discusses. The character to do what is right and the trust it builds is our foundation. The directive from Secretary Austin also includes emphasis on the benefit of listening. This is a key aspect of this initiative. The commander's intent for this stand down is to support meaningful dialogue and I hope each of you take an active part in the discussions. Not only should you be confident to speak, you should be ready to actively listen to those around you. Your teammates have much to contribute. Oftentimes we learn as much or more from our peers as we do from the person leading the discussion. We value your thoughts and your ideas about how to combat extremist behavior in the Air Force. Chief Toberman, a proud 55th wing alum, is absolutely right. Share your experiences and engage in respectful and hard conversations. When we conclude our stand down, my hope is that we are a more cohesive and effective wing and that we increase trust, a vital component of high performing organizations. Teammates, as we conclude this introduction to our stand down, please also take time as Secretary Austin stated to revisit the oath that each of us took when we entered the Air Force or public service. Read your oath again. Consider the value made. Each of us committed ourselves to supporting and defending the Constitution of the United States. The structure of our oaths vary depending upon the role we serve but our oaths all share common themes. We each made a personal commitment to serve and defend this great nation of ours and to obey its laws. This commitment to serve is what unites us, what bonds us together. We're guided by common ideals and support of our great republic and it's these ideals that will continue to bond us and propel us to excellence in the future. It's a privilege to serve with all of you. Thank you for listening. Thank you for taking this seriously and thank you so much for everything you do to make the mission happen each and every day. World class is our standard.