OCR Text |
Show Commentary Page 2a Fighter Country New mission statement t t The mission, especially being ready to fight and win any conflict, should be the Why we do our jobs By Col. James Sandstrom 388th Fighter Wing commander As the 388th Fighter Wing gets back together after being deployed all over the world, it is time to readdress our mission. During the last few months, we have rewritten the wing mission to . read: and Employ and deploy air assets worldwide ; . . Ready to fight and win any conflict! F-1- 6s Each squadron and group commander helped create this new mission statement and we all feel that it says, in the most basic way, who we are and why we are here. The mission The mission, especially being ready to fight and win any conflict, should be the focus of each and every one of us daily as we do our jobs. For example, when the 388th FW was deployed for Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm the folks in weapons standardization section reduced our integrated combat turn times the time it takes to get an aircraft ready to take off again once it lands by 20 percent. Improvements like this were commonplace because we were so keenly focused on our mission to win the war! In peacetime it's not always easy to keep a sharp focus on the mission. But that must be our goal! While rewriting our mission state ment we looked at what things we needed to do in order to be successful those things would become our new 388 FW goals. After much discussion the following goals were made: focus of each and everyone of us daily as we do our jobs. Improve our combat capability Improve mission effectiveness with "ACC Quality. " Make it better! Preserve our combat resources Take care of our people tested in a shop instead of installing it on the airplane and then testing 'it. This improved process saved both time and frustration. Preserving combat resources Since our resources are not limitless, preserving them is a major concern. We do this through ground safety and flying safety efforts. In a potential conflict, this requires both getting our fighters back from their missions and not losing people on the ground due to enemy actions. We never want any injuries or deaths, for the obvious reason we care about our people. But further, in the cold, hard world of warfighting every person, aircraft and piece of equipment is considered a combat resource. And to be ready to win any conflict, we must keep these resources. A1C James Carter of the 34th Fighter Squadron was right on this goal when he suggested that metal straps be welded to hanger grounding points, providing more room to properly ground equipment thereby eliminating the safety hazard of "piggy back" ground wires. F-1- ay bins. Eliminating the inventory and repack for mobilization reduced the time by eight hours. piece-by-pie- ce Improving mission effectiveness Our second goal, mission effectiveness simply states why we do continuous improvement. I challenge everyone in the wing to know their part of our mission and make it better. SrA. Christopher Cornelius, A1C Christopher McKellip and MSgt. Richard Livingston are great examples of wing people who have met this challenge. They designed a tester for an part that allows it to be 16 Super Bowl: Inspection By Lt. Col. John Bowen 729th Air Control Squadron commander Reviewing the results from the wing's Quality of Life Survey, one comment from my squadron got my attention. Someone wrote "the commander has a jock mentality." Actually, this is a very astute observation because I have always felt there is a strong correlation between what goes on in a good sports team and what goes on in a good military organization. Who is the best football team in the world? It's probably the Dallas Cowboys. And we know they're the best because they have been tested week after week, and they consistently win. Here in the 388th we're tested also, with deployments and exercises. The reasons this wing succeeds are very similar to the keys to the Cowboys' success. First is good senior leadership. Over the past few years the Cowboys have had an owner that's committed to winning and a coaching staff that knows the game and motivates the players. Here, we have wing and group commanders with impressive credentials, driven to make this wing the best and a commitment to the This eliminates the possibility for electrostatic discharge and possibly blowing up the aircraft. Taking care of our people Our final goal of taking care of our people brings you, the 388th member, into the warfighting equation. We want to make sure you have the right training and tools to do your job. One example of improving a workcenter took place on the wing's first Quality Improvement Team phase inspection. We spent $57,000 on a lighting upgrade in the phase hangar which increased lighting in the immediate work areas by 525 percent. We are also concerned everyone has the opportunity for spiritual, physical and mental Squadron Intramural sports programs provide our people an opportunity to compete and build a winning spirit and many workcenters provide time for personal exercise programs. As we all come back together from the four comers of the world, I challenge you with three things: Know the mission Know how you fit into the mission and; Always strive to make your part betterl wing's chance is troops. The Cowboys also have a consistently great game plan, one that capitalizes on team strengths. Our staff is constantly refining our game plan too, with a new 123 plan, smart packs, guides and checklists. Still, many believe the Cowboys just have the best players. But were they more talented than the Buffalo Bills? Probably not. Most teams have a wealth of talent, but a key to success is putting each person in a position to best use his talent. Troy Aikman is a great quarterback, but he's probably a lousy defensive end In the military, we all have different talents based on our interests, training and skills. Every unit is a team made up of a combination of experienced and inexperienced people in a variety of specialties. A major leadership challenge is getting each person into the position where they contribute most to the team effort. But it's also important not to load job after job on our most trusted and experienced troops. Emmitt Smith is a great running back, but he can't carry the ball every down. Winning, whether on the sports field or the battle field, takes a team effort. ' Speaking of Troy and Emmitt, they were the heroes that got most of the attention following the Super Bowl. in-flig- t Col. James Sandstrom 388th Fighter Wing commander Improving combat capability In order to be ready to fight and win in any conflict, we must always be striving to improve our combat capability. Everyone in the wing owns a piece of this goal, from the crew chief making sure an 6 is ready to fly and fight, to the back shop technician repairing components - everyone is a key player. One example of this attitude is when the 42 1 st Fighter Squadron decided to store equipment and benchstock in roll-aw- F-- " ht -- , well-bein- g. to win But they both know they can't do it alone, that it's the guys in the trenches that really make it happen. . We're not really much different in the military. In winning the 1993 Gunsmoke Competition, guys like Maj. Burt Field, the team leader, and Capt. Chris Weggeman, winner of the navigational attack profile, received considerable publicity. But winning Gunsmoke was a team effort, and it took perfection by a bunch of "offensive linemen" to make it happen. So where's this analogy going? Our ultimate contest as military members is combat, but short of that our Super Bowl is an Operational Readiness Inspection. The 388th is in the Super Bowl this year, and we play that game in just six months. Many people think we're the Dallas Cowboys of the combat air forces, the best fighter wing in the world. But we can only lay claim to that title if we prove ourselves in the ORI. Do I have a jock mentality? You bet! But to be on my team you don't have to run like Emmitt or throw like Troy. You simply need to be a competitor who wants your team to win. You must be dedicated to using your talents and training to keep the 388th Fighter Wing the champs that we are. Figbtbm. CovftTMT is edited, prepared and provided by the 388th Fighter Wlnj Public Affairs Office. Submit editorial copy to: 388 FWPA (Bid. 20. Room 113) by the fJnt Friday of the month for that month's bsue. For more Information, call the public affalri office at 1 777-320- 0. Col. James Sandstrom, . Commander, 388th Fighter Wing I st Lt John J. Thomas Chief, hibtcAffakt TSgL DarU J. Ernst NCOIC, Public Affalrt Amn. Almee Groben Editor Fighter Country Is a supplement to the Hilltop Times, published by MorMedia, Int. a connected with the U.S. Air Force, under exclusive written private firm In no way contract with the OgdenALC Public Affairs Offlce.Thls commercial enterprise AJr Force newspaper Is an authorized publication for members of the U.S. military services. CtenttrfFighterGxjntiyaren US. Government, the Department of Defense or the Department of the Air Force, Unless otherwise Indicated, all photos are U.S. Air Force photos. Advertisements contained herein do not constitute an endorsement by the of Defense, the Department U.S. Air Force or Hill AFB, Utah. Everything advertised Is available without regard to race, color, religion, sex or other nonmerit factorof the purchaser, user or patron. |