Commanders change at Barksdale AFB Shreveport Times, 24 Oct 13 John Andrew Prime Leadership of the top two units at Barksdale Air Force Base changed Wednesday in a complicated, last-minute ballet of ceremonies that kept a fair number of top officers and personnel in hurry-up-and-wait mode most of the day. The more important and shorter afternoon ceremony saw command of Air Force Global Strike Command, which controls two-thirds of the nation’s nuclear forces, pass from Lt. Gen. James Kowalski to Lt. Gen. Stephen W. Wilson, who just a few hours earlier had led a simpler life as a major general in charge of the 8th Air Force. That transfer of command occurred through the services of the Air Force’s No. 1 uniformed officer, Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh. “This command, this commander and the 26,000 airmen he leads are entrusted with two-thirds of our nation’s nuclear triad,” Welsh told the hundreds of airmen and invited civilian leaders, from Barksdale and other communities near AFGSC bases in Missouri, North Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, California and other states. “Folks, that’s a big deal, a really big deal.” The afternoon ceremony also included presentation of a Distinguished Service Medal to Kowalski, the second leader of the Air Force’s youngest command, who as its vice commander and commander organized it and coached it since 2009. Kowalski, headed to a new job as the deputy commander of U.S. Strategic Command, praised his successor as the right person for the job. “Seve’s got the perfect background,” he said, referring to Wilson by his call sign. “A combination of deep tactical knowledge, combat experience ... a pedigree in training and service at both Headquarters Air Force and U.S. Strategic Command will ensure your next commander knows what we do and why we do it. I can assure you, from firsthand observation, that his leadership is exactly the calm, common sense approach we want, to avoid overcorrecting through the inevitable turbulence and keeping you from the flight path to success. Follow his lead, and the transition will be seamless.” Wilson’s first day on the job occurred just as The Associated Press in Washington reported that several Air Force officers entrusted with the launch keys to long-range nuclear missiles have been caught twice this year leaving open blast doors intended to help prevent intruders from entering their underground command posts. Two launch crew commanders and two deputy commanders were given administrative punishments this year. As commander of the 8th Air Force, Wilson was insulated from the missteps of the nuclear missile folks, but in his new job, they are his responsibility, and he did not shy away when asked about his priorities by media in one of his first public activities as AFGSC commander, a news conference. “We’re going to continue to do the things that we do well, to make sure we’ve got high standards,” he said. “We will hold people accountable and keep doing the mission we’ve been doing. We have some great airmen (who) every day understand the importance of their mission and the job they’ve got to do. We wake up every day and our focus is on making sure the arsenal the nation entrusts to us is safe, secure and effective.” The morning ceremony, which lasted just less than two hours, involved a promotion, the presentation of a Distinguished Service Medal to Wilson and two changes of command as newly minted Maj. Gen. Scott Vander Hamm took over the reins of the 8th Air Force and the Joint Force Component Command and Task Force 204 at U.S. Strategic Command. The general officer who led that well-choreographed ceremony was Gen. C. Robert Kehler, head of U.S. Strategic Command and Kowalski’s new boss for the newt two months. Kehler will retire Jan. 1. The composition of the invited audiences at the morning and afternoon ceremonies differed, with more civilians at the morning event. While part of that was because of representatives of communities near 8th Air Force’s component bomber bases —Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri and Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota, part also was because of the family of incoming Mighty Eighth head Vander Hamm, who had most of his collection of 11 children and eight grandchildren to cheer him on, as well as his mother, wife, uncle and sprinkling of other kin. Noting the “culture of pride and professionalism” in the historic 8th Air Force, Vander Hamm said it is “on the right course. We will continue to move the ball forward.” Nodding to Wilson, “as you relax over there, starting a much-needed two-hour vacation,” Vander Hamm conceded that his new boss would be “a tough act to follow. You are truly a class act.” He also said he looked forward to working with the state and local civic leaders in the audience, who he referred to as “patriots without uniforms.”
Posted on: Fri, 25 Oct 2013 16:46:35 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015