Col. Eric S. Overturf, 442nd Fighter Wing commander, poses in front of A-10C 79-0122. Crew insriptions: PILOT: COL ERIC OVERTURF; CREW CHIEF: TSGT JIM MCGILTON; ASST CREW CHIEF: SRA ALEX CONNOR. Please also check the aircraft's ladder door art. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Tom Talbert) Hi-resby Col. Eric S. Overturf
442nd Fighter Wing commander2/22/2011 - WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. -- In February I had the privilege of attending this year's Hogfest banquet to honor our top maintainers.
Seeing all those world-class maintenance professionals in one room reminded me of a night as a young fighter pilot when a maintenance superintendent overheard me telling stories about a successful bombing mission.
The chief congratulated me for a job well done, and then asked if I knew who prepared the jet for take-off. Of course I did, I told him - the crew chief. Then he asked me if I knew who loaded the bombs and again, of course I did - the weapons loaders.
"Who built the bombs?" he asked.
After a few more questions I started to figure out the lesson that wise old chief was trying to teach me. With each answer, my role in the mission seemed a little less important compared to the role of the hundreds of other people who had contributed to putting those bombs on target.
I learned an important lesson that day - every person in a wing plays some vital role in mission accomplishment. We have many incredibly talented individuals in the 442nd Fighter Wing, like the four 2010 annual award winners that were announced at February's commander's call:
Senior Airman Peter Matthews, 442nd Security Forces Squadron was named Airman of the Year.
Tech. Sgt. Jessica McCowan, 442nd Command Post, was named Noncommissioned Officer of the Year.
Master Sgt. Vickie Chambers, 442nd Airman and Family Readiness Office, was named Senior Noncommissioned Officer of the Year.
First Sgt. (Senior Master Sgt.) Angela Bryant, 442nd Security Forces Squadron, was named First Sergeant of the Year.
Each of these award winners made outstanding individual contributions to our mission to Train and Deploy Ready Reservists, but more importantly they set great examples for the kind of teamwork the chief taught me about.
That teamwork will be more important than ever as we tackle this year's top priority of earning an outstanding rating on our operational readiness inspection. Our maintainers will carry much of the load as they prepare our jets for deployment and combat generation, and many other parts of the wing will be inspected as well, but no one will work alone. All of us will pitch in and work together as a team to succeed whether we are directly tasked during the inspection or not.
Part of that team effort starts with personal readiness. Your supervisors will be responsible for notifying you about how to complete all the requirements in your readiness folder, but it's also your responsibility as a ready reservist to complete the unfinished tasks. Review the yellow pages in this month's Mohawk, which have checklists of what you need to accomplish, and talk to your supervisor if you need help with completing any of the required items.
You should also expect to receive a recall notification via phone number or e-mail address a few days before the March unit training assembly. This accountability drill is an important part of our inspection readiness, so please respond to this recall as soon you receive it. Let your family know what to expect in case they are the ones who answer the phone.
Finally, as we build momentum toward the phase-one inspection in August, we need to get our game faces ready.
I've been out in most of your shops and offices, and I see a lot of great people who are doing great things, but I also see that you're worn out, and I don't blame you. I know that years of inspections and re-inspections and preparation for inspections have not been easy, and morale has suffered.
I also know you probably didn't join the Air Force Reserve to take compuer-based training tests (CBTs) and wear mission-oriented protective posture gear (MOPP) every drill weekend.
The good news is there is light at the end of the tunnel. We're going to take this inspection head on and put it behind us so we can get back to what this great wing does best - exceptional service to our country in real-world deployments while having fun along the way.
Starting with the exercise this month, when inspectors approach you let them know the 442nd Fighter Wing knows our stuff! I want you to be polite and respectful, but I also want you to carry a "bring-it-on" attitude into this inspection. We have a great spin-up plan to prepare us for the inspection, and you have proven time and time again that you're the best in the business when it comes to preparing and sending Citizen Airmen down range for real world operations.
The phase-one inspection will evaluate our ability to do just that, so execute your part of the mission as you've been trained to do, and let the inspectors bring it on - because we'll be ready.
This will be a busy year for everyone, but I will be out in your work areas over the next few months to meet you and find out what I can do to make it easier for you to get your part of the mission done.
Thanks to you and your families for everything you do and will do over this next month- it's an honor to serve as your commander.
Selfridge Air National Guard Base has been named the Airfield Complex of the Year by the Air National Guard for 2010. The award recognizes exemplary performance in air traffic control, air traffic control maintenance and airfield management. (U.S. Air Force photo by John Swanson) Hi-resNote: Awesome shot. According to photo info, this picture was already taken on August 19, 2010. There's one A-10 on the ramp. Eleven more A-10s are parked under sun roofs.
by TSgt. Dan Heaton
127th Wing Public Affairs2/22/2011 - SELFRIDGE AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Mich. -- Selfridge Air National Guard Base has been named the Airfield Flight Operations Complex of the Year by the Air National Guard.
The award recognizes exemplary performance in air traffic control, air traffic control maintenance and airfield management. By being named the complex of the year by the Air National Guard, Selfridge is now under consideration for an Air Force-wide award for airfield operations.
"This is the first time that Selfridge has ever won this award and I think it reflects the fact that we have really adopted a one team, one fight attitude, across the airfield," said Mark Winsor, air traffic manager at Selfridge. "People rolled up their sleeves and made this happen."
Airfield operations at Selfridge underwent a major systems evaluation last September in which the base received high marks from the visiting inspection team. With that accolade in hand, airfield managers decided to submit a package for consideration for the complex of the year award.
"As the host unit at a base that serves so many different agencies and so many different missions, it is critical that we provide the highest possible level of air traffic control and airfield management services," said Brig. Gen. Michael Peplinski, 127th Wing commander. "The men and women working in these shops have really stepped up in the last year or so to make this award possible."
The award comes shortly after a number of major changes in operations at Selfridge, notably the arrival of a variety of Dept. of Homeland Security aircraft flown by the Customs & Border Protection agency and the 127th Wing's transition away from flying C-130s and F-16s to flying KC-135s and A-10s. Winsor said that the presence of the DHS aircraft and the shift to F-16s has resulted in a slight boost in the traffic count at Selfridge. The Selfridge field handled about 16,350 aircraft operations in the four quarter of 2010, including aircraft departures, arrivals and aircraft that flu through air space controlled by the Selfridge tower.
With so much aircraft activity on the base, there is an acute need to keep numerous departments and shops across the base in the loop on what's happening on the airfield. Shops ranging from Security Forces to the Command Post and numerous others are able to tap into the Air Force Aviation System (AFAS) maintained by the Airfield Management shop to be able to know what is happening on the airfield when they need to know it.
"Our AFAS is considered to be the flagship system in the entire Air Force," said Senior Master Sgt. Kelli Martin, airfield manager. "We've done more to integrate more people who need information into our system than anywhere else in the Air Force. It provides instant data to those who need it, when they need it."
Martin said the airfield management shop has also been noted for its work updating and maintaining a database of all personnel who are authorized to drive government vehicles on the base flight line. Selfridge is one of two locations in the Air Force being used as a test site for a new drivers management system.
"Technical Sgt. Kathy Fuller re-wrote our driving program as a result of the different aircraft on the base and the change in where they are parked," Martin said. "With all of the different agencies out here and all of our traditional Guard members, we maintain a database of approximately 800 drivers."
The change in traffic patterns and aircraft parking areas on the airfield also required changes in vehicle traffic and new lanes and related markers being painted on the airfield.
Martin said some new equipment has also been installed around the airfield as a result of the different types of aircraft.
About 45 people work in the three departments directly related to the award, representing a mix of civilian employees, contractors and military personnel.
"I think team work is really what brought this award to Selfridge. Working together as a team strengthens anything you do," Winsor said.
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