53rd Wing commander leaves for Pentagon

  • Published
  • By Samuel King Jr.
  • Team Eglin Public Affairs
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  When Col. Michael Gantt accepted the 53rd Wing guidon as its new commander, he admitted to having only a moderate understanding of what took place within the 53rd Wing.

Two years later as prepares to hand over command, he said he now marvels at the depth of his wing's mission and how much they enhance the joint warfighter.

"Our missions have DOD and especially combat air force-wide impact," said the colonel. "Our evaluations, training and tactics make the rest of CAF better. Many people outside our wing don't understand that, so I tried to educate as many as I could during my tenure."

During his term, he visited each of the 22 geographically separated units that rest under the 53rd Wing umbrella.

"From those one-deep operating locations, the detachments, squadrons and our groups, all were deeply imbedded in their DOD locations," he said. "Everyone had a unique mission and working relationship with the host organization."

The colonel said once he understood the inner workings and complexities within his wing, he realized he needed to be the face of the wing and educate those around about the 53rd's mission and impact.

"Essentially, we are the 'Consumer Reports' of the CAF," said the F-16 Fighting Falcon pilot. "All we do, from our fielding recommendations, weapons data, tactics and procedures, is ensure the weapons used to defend this country are improved."

To accomplish those diverse missions, Gantt said he relied on the high-quality people working in his wing.

"The people make the mission," said the 23-year veteran. "Our young Airmen come in with new and interesting ideas. Our mid-level leadership provide professional development opportunities and keep the wing moving. Our senior leaders work to understand where the mission is heading and provide mission-type orders to best accomplish the Air Force-assigned mission. I sleep well at night knowing my commanders are taking care of the mission and their people."

Although a lot of the 53rd WG commander's time is spent on the road or in the air, being headquartered at Eglin is still optimal.

"We are in the right place," said Gantt. "We are so connected with the organizations around us. We work directly with the Air Armaments Center, the Air Force Research Lab, the 33d Fighter Wing, the 46th Test Wing, and obviously our hosts, the 96th Air Base Wing.

The local community also factored into a great command position the last two years.

"The relationship that Team Eglin has with the community is a model for all others to embrace," said the Virginia native.

Even though the wing faced past obstacles during his tenure from budget, manning, and recently the loss of an aviator, Gantt said he sees positive growth and new mission sets for the future of the 53rd Wing.

The F-35 arrival to Eglin for delivery to the 33d Fighter Wing, marked a step closer to the incorporation of the new fifth generation fighter into the 53rd Wing's mission of operational test and evaluation.

"Every 53rd Wing unit will eventually have some involvement with the F-35 program," said the commander.

Last year, the 513th Electronic Warfare Squadron stood up to develop and test F-35 mission data and eventually the 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron at Nellis AFB, Nev., will receive 12 F-35s for operational testing.

Colonel Gantt says farewell to the wing July 26 when he relinquishes command of the 53rd to Colonel David Hicks. Colonel Gantt's next assignment is to the Air Staff at the Pentagon.