The Hahn Hawk - Page 2
Continue - 50th TFW Commander...
What would you say were the wing´s highlights during your tour ?In retrospect, the highlights were: the accomplishment of a superb North Atlantic Treaty Organization Tactical Evaluation in July 1990, an outstanding NSI in November 1990 and the wing´s exceptional cohesion and actual deployment in support of Operations Desert Shield / Storm. At one point, more than 700 people from Hahn were deployed and, overall, in excess of 1,200 people left here to support efforts in the Middle East. Our Hahn Appreciation Days and Welcome Home ceremonies conveyed our appreciation to all our people-deployed and at home- who did such a superb job. And then, before the majority of our people returned from their Desert Storm deployment, we found out we were going to inactivate the wing. We did so under the most accelerated drawdown in USAFE history, safely redeploying 72 aircraft to guard units in the states in less than four months. We made arrangements, preparations and processed the moves of more than 2,000 people- and their families- in an extremely professional manner. In short, we have had a whole series of "highlights".What have your pet projects been? How have they done? I believe in making sure people know the standards- whether it´s from the standpoint of mission preparedness or emphasis on safety, courtesy, dress, and appearance. I also believe base appearance, personal pride, good housekeeping and safety go hand in hand with mission accomplishment. i have found that once Air Force people know the standards, they always meet or exceed them. That is why I´ve worked hard at making sure we all knew what our goals and standards were. I was very pleased to see the support the Hahn community gave me in support of established goals and standards. That support was obvious in everything they did- from all the mission accomplishments to winning the Commander in Chief USAFE Base Appearance Award. This was all done as a result of the men and women of the community working toward the same goals while sharing the same standards. Have you accomplished the goals that you set up for yourself when you first took over the 50th Tactical Fighter Wing and what are these goals ? More than a year and a half ago, my goals were to make sure we successfully completed the NATO Tactical Evaluation- the demonstration of our war fighting capabilities- and to improve our flying and ground safety records. We successfully accomplished those. We had a superb Tac Eval and we can proudly state that our safety record over the last year and a half is the best the 50thTFW has ever had. In fact, our motor vehicle accident rate is the lowest Hahn has had in more than a decade. What have you gotten both personally and professionally from being wing commander here? I´ve reconfirmed a belief which I´ve held for a long time: A wing commander can have the greatest goals and ideas in the world, but the only way they can be accomplished is by the men and women within the organization. When you see great things happening- whether it´s the results on an inspection, mobilization and deployment for combat or the inactivation of an organization- it´s extremely humbling to realize how the men and women of that organization have stepped up to the challenge. A commander can´t do it alone. It´s only done if the men and women of the organization do it. The men an women of the 50th TFW have stepped up to and accomplished all these challenges- and more- in a fantastic manner. How does it feel to be the last 50th TFW commander? It´s a mixed feeling. While it´s sad to see the inactivation of a premier F-16 wing, we must also realize the wing has accomplished its mission. The Soviet and Warsaw pact military forces were outclassed. The world security arrangement and particularly European situation have changed dramatically. Of course- as members of the 50th TFW- we´re sad to see the organization go. However, we should be very proud that our mission has been accomplished and that the comletion of that mission permitted us to inactivate.What challenges lie ahead for the Hahn military community?As we scale down to a community approximately 40% of our previous size, we continue to face very important mission requirements. We must still focus on mission accomplishment throughout the community. We must keep working quality-of-life-issues and making sure our people are informed and appropriately thanked for their efforts. The biggest challenge will be to maintain the same quality of life. I know Col Joseph A. Emma, 583rd Air Base Group commander, is concentrating on these issues so as to ensure the mission is accomplished and the highest possible, and afforable, quality of life is providedto the men and women of the Hahn community. If you meet someone enroute to Hahn, what will you tell them ? I would tell them they´re going to enjoy their assignment. They´re heading for a beautiful part of Germany with superb German hosts. I would also tell them that they will find a sense of community at Hahn like they´ve never seen before.
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