53rd CC departs wing for 14 AF

  • Published
  • By Samuel King Jr.
  • Team Eglin Public Affairs
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  When 53rd Wing Commander Col. Steve DePalmer leaves for his new assignment next week, he'll have a lot of satisfying memories to take with him. 

"Seeing the satisfaction and light on the faces of all levels of leadership, when their work comes together and culminates into a successful test or eval - those are the memories I'll keep with me," the colonel said as he reflected on his year of command of 53rd Wing. 

He reports May 26 for his new assignment as vice commander of 14th Air Force at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. 

The colonel arrived at the wing in April 2008 and quickly learned just how unique the 53rd is. 

"This is not your normal operational wing," said the F-15 pilot. "But the more I dug in and researched, the more thrilled I was about the assignment." 

He said he discovered the breadth and depth of the wing's involvement was immense. 

"Our missions range from evaluation of nuclear weapons tactics and techniques to chemical-biological shelters for dolphins used for homeland defense," said the commander. "The 53rd runs the gamut, from counter-IED tests on the ground to sophisticated weapons in the air." 

As the commander was immersed into the wing and visited many of the geographically separated units, he noticed a theme within the leadership of the 53rd. 

"This wing thrives on small team leadership," Colonel DePalmer said of the various 53rd units that cannot rely on the 'top coverage' typically provided by a local group or base commander. "I witnessed instances of leadership from the lower ranks that moved our wing forward and affected Air Force leaders and the warfighter." 

One of his goals was to nurture the relationships between the GSUs and their own host wing units. He wants other units working with the 53rd to understand they were working with the best. 

"I wanted those who work with us to leave the interaction saying, 'those guys are credible, have their stuff together and actually help me complete my mission,'" said the 24-year veteran. 

That professionalism actually made the commander's life easier. He recalled a typical preconception about leadership was "90 percent of a commander's time would be spent on 10 percent of his people." 

"Not true in the 53rd Wing," said the colonel. "Instead of dealing with discipline, I was able to focus more of my attention serving the needs of those small unit leaders. That was very fulfilling as a commander." 

During his year commanding the wing, he encountered challenges such as manpower shortages, finances, rotating personnel and the potential loss of an entire group, but he was also rewarded with the Reserve total force integration squadron - the 84th Test and Evaluation Squadron. 

On the testing side, the B-1's sniper pod completed operational testing and is being used with deployed bombers in the area of responsibility. It's only one example of the upgrades being worked on the 15 airframes operated by the 53rd Wing. In addition, the weapons evaluation program expanded during his tenure to include U.S. Navy and Marine units. 

Although he encountered obstacles, there was one that plagued him most - the balance of travelling and keeping the mission moving forward at home. 

"The difficulty generating face time with the troops at the GSUs and here at Eglin - that was frustrating," he said. "There just wasn't enough time. Thankfully, the quality people backing me up here at Eglin, to include Col. (Mick) Guthals and Mr. (Tom) DuBois, allowed me to get out and visit those small units." 

Those quality people and their professionalism are the reasons he feels confident the wing will continue to grow and flourish in the future with major projects in the works. 

The electronic warfare group will be responsible for the F-35 mission data reprogramming lab, ensuring the software inside remains as state of the art as the aircraft is on the outside. 

The wing will also be the first Air Combat Command unit to field the F-35 as well. They will partner with the Air Force Flight Test Center for simultaneous operational and developmental testing at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. 

The path ahead is still brighter especially for the electronic warfare realm, according to Colonel DePalmer. 

"Electromagnetic spectrum management is the key to any operation in the future," he said. "There will need to be a full-time organization to manage it as well as exploit it. We need to keep that momentum going on our improvements and education. Without control of the electromagnetic spectrum, we may lose some of those high tech capabilities we take for granted." 

As the sun descends on his time as a wing commander, Colonel DePalmer regrets he didn't see more Emerald Coast sunsets or enjoy the local community, but the people, mission and the responsibilities of the wing that kept him busy will forever linger in his memory. 

"Commanding the (53rd) Wing has truly been a life experience," he said. "Eglin is a wonderful place, and our family loved living here. I'm just sad we're not going to enjoy it more."