Commander's eyes watered

  • Published
  • By Col. Dave Goldfein
  • 49th Fighter Wing commander
HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. --  In my first weeks at Holloman, I have literally had my eyes watered by the incredible performance of the 49er team! Let's just review one week's activities as an example of what I've seen.

A major phase I exercise with the best aircraft generation and deployment processes I have seen at any base in the Air Force. (Not sure how XP (Inspections and Plans) worked in the major flood and power outage injects ... but ... "nice touch").

A response to the crash of a QF-4E and resulting battle staff and disaster control group coordination that was near perfect.

A visit from our 12th Air Force commander, Lt. Gen. Norm Seip, that went off like clockwork. His eyes were watered too!

A wing-wide humanitarian response to support downtown flood victims led by Senior Master Sgt. Poe.

Just your typical week at Holloman AFB - WOW! When I took command almost two months ago, I had heard about the great reputation Team Holloman had ... now I have seen it with my own eyes. Rest assured, if the objective was to roll my socks down -- mission accomplished! What a blessing to walk into an organization that is hitting on all cylinders.

To handle this amount of simultaneous activity with such class and style requires two things: a team spirit and engaged leadership at all levels. As we head into the long weekend and a well-deserved break, let's keep this momentum to ensure a safe weekend for all. Supervisors at all levels -- I expect you to know what your troops are doing this weekend. Southern New Mexico offers unlimited opportunity for outdoor activities and fun, but also carries inherent risks. Let's be responsible and make a pact to take care of each other the Labor Day weekend so everyone returns code one on Tuesday morning. For those working this weekend, thank you for your service and sacrifice.

Dawn and I could not be more excited about joining this incredible 49er team. Have a great, safe weekend break, and thank you for showing us what Team Holloman is capable of accomplishing here and the friendliest place on Earth.