Changing hands: Col. Dennis Daley assumes command of the 436th MXG

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman James Bolinger
  • 436th AW Public Affairs
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  Col. Dennis Daley assumed command of the 436th Maintenance Group in a change-of-command ceremony Aug. 30 at the Air Mobility Command Museum.

Colonel Daley replaces Col. Robert Hamm, who departs Dover to become the deputy director of logistics, Installations and Mission Support, Air Education and Training Command, Randolph Air Force Base, Texas.

Colonel Daley was most recently assigned as commander of the 402nd Electronics Maintenance Group, Warner Robins AFB, Ga. He has also served as a professor of Aeronautical engineering at the U.S. Air Force Academy and deputy commander of the 60th Maintenance Group, Travis AFB, Calif.

Colonel Daley was commissioned through Officer Training School in 1983 and received a bachelor of science in Aeronautical Engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology. He holds a master of science in Mechanical Engineering and was a distinguished graduate of Aircraft Maintenance Officer School in 1992. He completed Air Command and Staff College in 1996 and attended the Industrial College of the Armed Forces in 2002.

Colonel Daley brings significant experience working on both the C-17 Globemaster III and the C-5 Galaxy, said Col. Steve Harrison, 436th Airlift Wing commander and officiating officer for the ceremony. Colonel Daley's backround in the C-5 and C-17 will take Dover's Maintainers the next level.

"My past C-5 and C-17 experience should be helpful, but honestly, as a group commander, I will rely on our (chief master sergeants) and NCOs, who are much more versed in the aircraft than I would ever be," said Colonel Daley. "Hopefully, my previous C-17 and C-5 assignments will allow me to better support them."

Colonel Daley aligns his goals for the 436th MXG with Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Michael Moseley's goals for the Air Force and those of Colonel Harrison for America's Preeminent Airlift Wing.

"My goals and the 436th Maintenance Group goals must be aligned with our senior leaders' intent at the Air Force, MAJCOM and Wing level," said Colonel Daley. "We must work at our group level on a daily basis to support General Michael Moseley's three goals: support the Global War on Terror, provide for and nurture our people and recapitalize our equipment.

"Each sortie we produce, each leader we mentor, and each dollar we save supports the Chief's strategic vision ... but we must affect it at operational level," he said. "We will support these three broad strategic goals after we meet with the maintenance group's squadron officers and NCOs."

Colonel Daley has plans to set his goals in action; however his fully- detailed report won't be delivered to Colonel Harrison for 30 days.

"As a group commander, I would like to be as far removed from daily operations as possible, allowing the experts in the squadrons to take care of our mission," said Colonel Daley. "I will be actively monitoring daily operations, but more as a gauge to better resources or to work process improvements ... all to better support our troops."

Dover is a joint team, said Colonel Daley. Team Dover encompasses all members of the active-duty wing and the reserve brethren in the 512th Airlift Wing.

"To successfully generate C-5 and C-17 training and TACC missions, it takes a village, or in our case, a wing," said Colonel Daley. "I hope to aggressively partner with our sister groups, both active and reserve, to improve on all aspects of people and mission. Spare parts and child care, to smart aircraft scheduling must be accomplished in conjunction with our 436th and 512th partners."

The colonel shared his gratitude with the people in his new command.

"I would like to thank the people of the 436th Maintenance Group ... military, reservists and civilians for their hard work and dedication, in what many feel is one of the most challenging and demanding missions in our Air Force," said Colonel Daley. "I am honored to be their commander and pledge my very best to enable them in meeting our mission.

"I will be totally engaged with their squadron commanders and their chiefs to sustain and enhance their effectiveness, their quality of life and their professional development," he said. "It's all about our people. That may sound like a worn out cliché, but I promise to validate that cliché.

"I will try my very best to place people first. My true test as a group commander will be whether our people, not my boss, but our people, feel whether or not Colonel Daley was a people-centered leader."