TOP STORY > >Team Little Rock welcomes new 19 AW/CV

By Staff Sgt. Nestor Cruz
19th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

The new 19th Airlift Wing vice commander is glad to be back “home.”

Col. Michael Zick, the 19 AW vice commander, is on his third assignment here and is proud to be part of the Little Rock Air Force Base Combat Airlift legacy

“I’ve always considered Little Rock AFB the ‘home’ of my career,” said Colonel Zick. “My Air Force career first took flight here in 1991 as a pilot in the 61st Airlift Squadron and I owe a lot of my success to what I learned here as a young officer. My wife, Emily, and I were thrilled when we found out we were coming back. It’s definitely good to be back home.”

As the new vice commander, Colonel Zick is focused on providing worldwide deployable C-130 aircraft, aircrews, support personnel and equipment for Air Mobility Command and Air Expeditionary Force taskings while providing for the health and welfare of more than 12,000 Airmen and families at Little Rock AFB.

“My goals are mission, member and family,” he said. “To complete our mission, we rely heavily on our Airmen and their families. It takes a total team effort as our Combat Airlifters deploy around the world on combat and humanitarian missions.

Our Airmen need to know their families will be well taken care of while they are away accomplishing their deployed missions.”

That’s where I and the rest of Team Little Rock can help, said Colonel Zick.

To do this, Colonel Zick said he’s planning numerous “meet and greet” visits with the men and women who make the base’s Combat Airlift mission soar.

“An Airman’s proximity to the flightline has no relation to how much impact they have on the mission,” said Colonel Zick.

“Whether you work in the flight kitchen, the personnel office or out on the flightline, every Airman plays an important part in providing Combat Airlift.”

The vice commander charges all Little Rock Airmen to practice personal responsibility and be a good wingmen to one another.

“It does not take rank to be a leader,” said Colonel Zick. “I want every Airman to know it is their duty to make things right if they see something wrong. In other words, don’t pass a problem by. Fix it, or find the person who can fix it. Take responsibility for yourself and those around you. I’m a firm believer that you’re only as fast as your slowest team mate. So if a fellow Airman has a problem, we all have a problem and we need to help them out. That way we all succeed.”

“Yes, I realize sometimes we have to burn the candle at both ends, but we should not be so consumed with doing the mission that we can’t take time to take care of those around us,” he said. “This is how people become burned out and start to feel isolated and depressed. That is why it’s critical to slow down once in a while and make sure you get out and enjoy yourself.”

It’s often said that the Air Force recruits individuals, but retains families. As vice commander, I have an opportunity to make a difference in the quality of life of Airmen and their families. “That’s a responsibility I take very seriously,” said Colonel Zick.

“Family connections are absolutely critical, because when an Airman retires, I want their family standing there saying they had a great time in the Air Force.”

Finally, communication is also a key element in fostering successful Airmen as well as ensuring mission success. “The reality is the mission won’t get any easier anytime soon, and the load placed on each of our Airmen’s shoulders won’t get any lighter either,” said Colonel Zick. “To deal with this, our challenge is to keep the lines of communication open. As long as we’re talking to each other, we can accomplish anything.”

Colonel Zick said he is honored to become Colonel Otey’s vice wing commander and an integral member in the Team Little Rock leadership.

“I’ve learned a lot from my mentors and Col. James Johnson did a fantastic job before me, so it’s a huge honor for me to return to Little Rock AFB as the 19 AW vice commander,” he said.

“At the end of the day, if I leave the base better than I found it, then my time here will have been well spent,” Colonel Zick said.

Colonel Zick is a C-130 Weapons Officer with more than 4,200 hours in the C-130 Hercules and has flown multiple combat and combat support missions including Operations Desert Storm, Allied Force, Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.