COMMENTARY>>Going above and beyond

by Col. Gregory S. Otey
19th Airlift Wing commander

Black Knights, you rocked the house during our Air Mobility Command Unit Compliance Inspection and Logistics Compliance Assessment Program, and your actions were nothing less than marvelous.

In a time in our Air Force where “Satisfactory” is the standard, you went above and beyond to earn an overall “Excellent” rating in the UCI and three “Outstandings” and three “Excellents” during the LCAP. Thank you for your hard work, your dedication to your profession and your professionalism.

I know times are challenging for all of us. We’re doing more to support the war effort. We’re being handed more programs to manage, and additional training requirements often seem to materialize out of thin air, but you managed to prioritize and the Black Knight’s armor shines bright!

With roughly 15 percent of our wing deployed overseas at any given time, it takes leaders to pick up the slack and find a way to accomplish tasks. It’s evident at my level that we have some great leaders in the 19th Airlift Wing that make the mission happen while taking care of our people.

You own your programs, and it’s you that have the authority and responsibility to enact those programs and make them work.

It’s evident from the inspectors’ comments that you’ve taken ownership of the processes and you’re doing very well.

Regardless of the inspection, you provide the warfighter C-130 Combat capability better than any other wing!

As with any inspection, there are always areas that need more focus and we can improve. We will take the opportunity to do just that as we go forward. That said, we can’t sit back and relax. I need you to continue to focus your attention on these inspection areas and our ability to safely produce C-130 Combat Airlift. Taking your sight off all these programs for even a short amount of time could impact our mission.

Even with all we’ve achieved, another area I need you to stay focused on is our people. They are our most valuable resource, and they’ve been worked hard and heavy on a continuous basis. They’ve been under a lot of stress. Leaders, supervisors, our people need your support, guidance and mentorship now more than ever.

Commander’s intent is simple: Mission first, people always and have some fun along the way. We’re taking care of the first two, now it’s time to have some fun. But be careful doing so. Don’t let your excitement for the end of the inspection lead you into an injury while you celebrate your success. You’re great at what you do, but you’re not impervious to injury--each one of you makes a difference every day!

Enjoy some well-deserved time off. Combat Airlift!