RAF ALCONBURY, England -- When the 19th Assistant Surgeon General for U.S. Air Force Dental Service visited the 501st Combat Support Wing in England, Feb. 17, he brought with him his vision for the Dental Corps - condensed into a single acronym.

Calling it "CORE," Maj. Gen. Roosevelt Allen said this philosophy uses four key points to align the Dental Service with the Air Force Medical Service's strategic vision for better health, better care, readiness and best value.

C is for Caring for People

"You can't do your job if you aren't healthy," Allen said. "First and foremost you have to have balance in your own life."

Once Airmen find their work-life balance, Allen said they can focus on truly caring for their patients and offering them excellent care.

"It's all about the patients," he said. "You expect to receive the best care from a highly trained staff in a safe and accessible facility. Your patients expect the same. Focus on making that a reality."

O is for Optimizing Resources

Despite budgetary challenges and changes to the force, Allen said the mission continues. He encourages Airmen to act as sensors throughout their daily operations - looking for ways to improve processes and enhance efficiencies.

"We have to be good stewards of the taxpayer's dollars," the general said. "Every day we should be looking at how we can maximize our best practices and continue to meet the needs of our patients."

R is for Readiness

Whether the call comes today or tomorrow, Allen said the drive to maintain a constant state of readiness should always be present.

"We exist to ensure people are ready and able to fly, fight and win at a moment's notice," he said. "As leaders you need to know what your people require to accomplish this, and hold them accountable."

E is for Evolving with Change

The Air Force is changing, Allen said. It becomes the job of all Airmen to ensure they have the training and job proficiency necessary to meet these changes head on.

"The oath we took comes with a responsibility to adapt to change and make the most of it," he said. "We need to identify issues early and work together to fix them."

Allen said he hopes the Airmen of the 501st CSW will embrace the CORE of his message and use it to better themselves and seek out improved methods to meet the mission.