Commander reflects on his tenure

  • Published
  • By Lois Walsh
  • 96th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  Col. Dean Clemons, 96th Air Base Wing commander, is heading out for a one-year deployment to Iraq. Before he left, he spent a few minutes reflecting on his 18-month tenure as installation commander. Here is what he had to say.

On his goals
The first thing that struck me when I was the vice (commander), I was seeing the F-35 and 7th Special Forces Group on the horizon. After assuming command, my initial thought was we have to become the architects of BRAC, we have to control our own destiny, so let's design this so it can be viable in the future. Another thought was these are real people coming here, not just blocks on an organizational chart. These are people, all of whom have families. This isn't just about brick and mortar, we need to posture the base for their reception on so many levels as they move to this new place called Eglin.

On people
In my tenure as vice commander and commander, we've deployed 3,200 Eglin people. There is a commitment to prepare our Airmen to the greatest extent possible. I refused to back down on zero defaults going downrange. We ensure that every single Airman has every piece of training and equipment to deploy, prosecute the war and return to their families. The ERC has processed thousands of other Airmen in the southeast region and there had to be very strong processes in place so we could do that well, and we have. I feel much better about the issue of civilian personnel, particularly civilian pay shortfalls. I don't think the civilian population needs to worry about a RIF in '08 or 09. It's not rosy, but it's clear. I feel really good about that.

On successes
The success I'm most proud of is forging relationships, whether it was with all the installation commanders and their units, the mayors and their cities, the chambers, or numerous service agencies and organizations. My leadership from General Chedister through General Eidsaune have been extremely supportive. There's been great interaction at the command level, the state level and the national level. I really have a sense we've been successful in interweaving all the agendas and visions for the future to move us collectively forward. When one walks around the installation right now, it's not about what patch you're wearing, it's about being a part of Team Eglin.

On Wingmen 
To me, the Wingman philosophy is perfectly aligned with my leadership approach: we're going to care for one another, we're going to understand what's going on in each other's lives, we're going to appreciate each other. There are no islands, we don't charge a hill or fly a jet by ourselves. With being a Wingman comes the responsibility not only for yourself but for someone else, to reach out and be available emotionally and physically. I've said it a few times, "One can pretend to care, but one can't pretend to be there." The wingman culture provides an avenue that says "I'm there for you."

On future challenges 
We are addressing the challenges, but I don't believe we've conquered the challenges. There will remain fiscal challenges in the O&M world, providing the facilities and services necessary for BRAC. As all the mechanics and logistics of BRAC are now coming to head, there's going to be a lot of cogs that need to fit into the big machine. I think we have the cogs for success. Are they all finely tuned? I don't think so. It's going to require innovation and initiative to tune the individual cogs.

On his deployment 
I'm excited that I will see the fruits of the Eglin team's labor directly and how we are coalescing with our coalition partners for greater stability in Iraq and Southwest Asia. I will see our Airman, in theater, doing what we asked them to do. I can go across the Green Zone and throughout the Red Zone and bump into Eglin airman, that's huge for me.