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Gen. Goldfein tours Dover AFB

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Zoe Wockenfuss
  • 436th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein and his wife, Dawn, toured Dover Air Force Base Nov. 1, 2018.

The brief visit to Dover was the first stop on a three-day trip in which Goldfein visited Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, where he spoke to students of the Army Command and General Staff College, before traveling to the Air Force Academy and NORAD in Colorado.

As with most base visits, the Goldfeins were exposed to a wide swath of Airmen, families and facilities at Dover, including the Fisher House for Families of the Fallen, Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations, the base club The Landings, and the United Service Organizations (USO) community center. The Fisher House and AFMAO missions are dedicated to ensuring dignity, honor and respect to the fallen and providing care, service and support to families of the fallen.

While there, Mrs. Goldfein also visited the Airmen and Family Readiness Center, the 436th Medical Group and the fitness center, where she had lunch and conversation with Dover’s key spouses.

Meanwhile, Gen. Goldfein observed a demonstration of the new fitness assessment for Airmen responsible for disposing of explosive ordnance from Dover’s EOD unit and “talked shop” with maintenance Airmen at the Isochronal Inspection Dock.

He also met with squadron commanders, superintendents and first sergeants during a lunch that included a period of questions and answers. There, Gen. Goldfein spoke about the Dover mission, shared his priorities for Airmen and discussed his vision for the future of the Air Force.

"Never lose sight of the gift of leadership,” Gen. Goldfein told them. “We've been entrusted with the greatest treasure in our nation’s arsenal, which are young men and women; 96 percent of whom ... joined after 9/11, which means they never have known a day of peace. It is our job to take care of them so they can take care of the mission.”

“My job, as Chief, is to make sure you have what you need to get that done and then get out of your way,” he continued. “And to make sure you know that both the Secretary and I absolutely, totally and completely trust you to get the job done.”