New Expeditionary Operations School commandant discusses leadership, air advising Published July 18, 2024 By Shawn J. Jones U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. -- Lt. Col. Sarah Kaiser, commandant of the U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Operations School, met with her Airmen on July 15, 2024, for the first time since taking the position on July 9. During the meeting, she addressed several topics, including her leadership philosophy and experience as an air advisor. Kaiser outlined her leadership philosophy as having three key elements: connection, contribution, and communication. She emphasized connection is essential for a person’s ability to survive and succeed. "Human beings are social creatures, and connections are essential for our well-being,” she said. Kaiser also highlighted the importance of people being connected to the mission, which relates to the second part of her approach: contribution. "People feel valued when they can contribute to something,” she said. “It provides a sense of purpose.” She said the third part, communication, can go in multiple directions—up, down, peer-to-peer and across organizations. Communication is a key aspect to providing critical feedback and respectful dissent, which she encourages. "I don't have the best idea in the room,” she said. “Somebody out there does, and I want to hear it." During the meeting, Kaiser also discussed the role of air advisors, whose mission is to advise foreign partner air forces via training, mentoring and operational support, to improve their capabilities and interoperability with the U.S. military. Kaiser, who served as an air advisor and instructor pilot in Afghanistan, said the role of air advisors is extremely important in the current strategic environment. "Our national security strategy really relies on our allies and partners," she said. "That's what advisors are out there doing. We are building capability and capacity with our allies and partners." She said the connections that air advisors make reverberate beyond military-to-military interactions with partner nations. The shared experiences enhance strategic empathy, and ultimately, strengthen international partnerships, creating a robust network of allies that will deter potential adversaries from escalating competition into armed conflict. Kaiser asked her Airmen hypothetically what would happen if an adversary decided to escalate. “That's why we train to win," Kaiser said.