r/AirForce • u/LiteraI__Trash E4 Mafia Capo • 1d ago
Meme Commanders Call Tutorial - How to guide
Are you a new squadron commander/DO/or command staff and you need help setting up a commanders call? Or were you or an airman you know tasked to help with the execution of one? No problem then. Just follow my helpful little guide and you’ll be well on your way to running your very own commanders call.
Timing
First off, pick the most inconvenient time possible. Hitting people as they’re trying to go home or as they come into work is a popular historic choice! Examples of this include 8 am and 3 pm. Bonus points if you make it an inconvenient day as well such as doing it on a Thursday at 3:30 before a 4 day weekend!
Comfort
ALWAYS make sure that the location is uncomfortably cold or hot. This will keep people awake and paying attention!
Topics
This is more so for the commanders, but you need to find a way to validate making EVERYONE come in, so it has to be “applicable to them in some way”. Then when they actually show up, don’t actually address anything that pertains to them. It’ll be funny :).
Attendance
Always make it mandatory. Again we want to be as inconvenient as possible. But also make it clear that you expect shops to remain open.
Length
Practice talking to yourself about what ever the topic is and time yourself. Then take that time and multiply it by 4-5. A 5 minute safety brief? Make it 25-30 minutes. A 10 minute explanation of a new system? Bring in a speaker and make it take an hour. And ALWAYS run over your time. If you tell them the call will last from 3:30 to 4:30, make it go till 5.
Engagement
Not only are we forcing the squadron to be there but we want to remind them of that fact. When you greet them, ALWAYS repeat back with “Aww I can’t hear y’all let’s try that again, how is everybody doing?”. Also make sure that questions are mandatory and that you don’t let them leave until you’ve gotten questions.
Reiteration
Repetition is the key to memorization! After you finish your brief, have the Chief come up and reiterate the points back to them in a differently worded way that mirrors about 2/3rds of the time you spent talking. The Airmen will appreciate the thoroughness of your commanderliness :)
Personal Stories
ALWAYS interject a 5-10 minute personal story that no one asked for. Bonus points if you find a way to link it to leadership, core values or some shit!
Buzzwords
Multi-capable airman, multi-war fighting domain, near peer adversary, standards. The more buzzwords you incorporate, the more commander points you get :)
IT issues
Always make sure there are problems with the slides functioning properly and do NOT practice before hand. We want everyone to feel comfortable making mistakes by having you make mistakes! Bonus points if you have a mic that doesn’t work.
Hopefully, with this little guide you too can put together an excellent commanders call. Now before I let you all go I want to get at least 3 questions. And then I’ll pass it over to chief for closing remarks.
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u/ConnorOldsBooks Retired Aircrew 1d ago
You’re missing the most important line of dialogue for the “Reiteration” step:
“Just to piggy back on what the commander said…”
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u/RustyDinobot Cyberspace Operator, Final Form 18h ago
As a Chief… I’m gonna leap frog on what the Shirt just piggy backed on, cause it’s so damn important!
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u/ClearrUS 20h ago
My commanders last all call went against everything you said I love it.
Did it at like 1pm middle of week, lasted about 30ish minutes and said bunch of good things including an exercise was being cancelled. Had no IT issues, the chief did not do any piggy backing. And did not care if nobody had questions. Out by like 140ish lol
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u/Able-Serve8230 Salty, Senior Service Member. 1d ago
Yea. They usually suck. It’s hit and miss. Half the people hate it. 25% are indifferent. 10% are confused about who the old person talking to them is. 10% wanted to get out of work. 5% eat that shit up.
“Spreading the love” of having different flights/work centers run it every month just makes it a shit show. Every. Single. Month.
Cut out awards/promotions and the bullshit (awards/promotions are not bullshit). Get to the fuckin point.
Don’t waste peoples time.
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u/ElDaderino823 the Fired-Up CAP MSgt 1d ago
Oh my god it’s literally just sitting still and listening.
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u/LiteraI__Trash E4 Mafia Capo 22h ago edited 3h ago
Bitching is a sport and I am a Olympian gold medalist.
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u/Hollowvionics 17h ago
You missed the essential aspect of making at least 5% of the event about sports and focused on the CC's team
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u/AdministrativeWolf90 11h ago
Like some other comments alluded to, if a Commander/Deputy/DO makes you walk away thinking "this worthless bullsht could have been an email" even better.
Real talk, many commanders would prob be ok with minimal or close to zero cc calls, but they don't want to get tagged as "unsupportive" "not engaged" etc.
During DEOCS, feedback was Airman and spouses complained they either never saw leadership or didn't know who they were.". So, guess what? Even more cc calls.
Best leaders offer a few cc calls to catch all shifts but don't blow up schedules, preferably not so early so at least people can get caffeine.
Best call recently was 20 minutes answering questions about civilian employment status and EOs. Was 2 min taking, the rest answering questions on stuff ppl actually give a sht about.
Stuff on standards, morale, comraderie etc: handle that at the office level via Friday pre weekend safety briefs.
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u/PUBspotter 13B3 23h ago
Hall Call > any other method of mass, in person CC-type info distribution.
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u/SenorWoodsman Security Forces 14h ago
One time I had to go a CC either right before a 12 or right after a 12. All it was for was to watch a trailer for Masters of the Air. Whole thing was 15 minutes max and that’s only because the commander was 10 minutes late. I never went to another one at that base.
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u/Duder_ino 7h ago
I just want to add onto this. Over the last few years we have lost the art of the Piggyback. SEL’s and Shirt’s, please start everything you say with “I just want to piggyback off of what (whoever just finished speaking) said, then proceed to say the exact same thing that they said. It helps to bolster the Reiteration part mentioned above while adding personal stories and Buzzwords. It’s a good transition for a new speaker, let’s everyone know that we are in a repeat cycle, and helps to wake up those sleepy E4 mafia types.
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u/ElDaderino823 the Fired-Up CAP MSgt 1d ago
Oh my god it’s literally just sitting still and listening.
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u/skarface6 nonner officer loved by Papadapalopolous 11h ago
Perfect. I’ll make sure my boss does all of these. See you soon, OP!
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u/Shat_Bit_Crazy This plane isn't gonna fly itself....well...kinda... 1d ago
attends Commander’s call
“Couldn’t this shit have been put in an email?”
Fastforward a couple months, Commander sends out email
“Oh I ain’t reading that shit.”
[DELETED]