Constant Change

  • Published
  • By Colonel David B. Horton
  • 436th Operations Group Commander
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  Dover has experienced a string of changes in the past year ... from a new mission support group commander last summer to a new wing commander six months ago ... even a new President whose strategic outlook has a direct impact on us as military personnel and civil servants. We brought in the C-17 Globemaster III and achieved full operational capability last October ... a new aircraft, performing the enduring airlift mission in a different way. We're now privileged to be leading the way with yet another airframe change, the C-5M Super Galaxy, which will dramatically alter the way we employ the largest, most capable, strategic airlifter on the planet. We have also witnessed and supported the stand-up of the Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations Center as a tenant at Dover ... new teammates performing the same solemn mission for which the 436th Airlift Wing had historically been responsible. 

More recently, we've seen a wholesale swap out of squadron commanders across the mission support group; new and deployed commanders in the maintenance group; a new vice wing commander, command chief and medical group commander. In the operations group, I have a new C-17 squadron commander who promptly deployed with his squadron within weeks of taking command ... and an operations support squadron commander who just began a six-month deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Even our Reserve partners have welcomed a new vice wing commander and operations group commander within the past four months. For those of us who have been around a while, such change is one of the "constants" we've come to expect. 

So is the apprehension over replacing our MVPs in the workplace. How often do we have that special Airman we believe is indispensible to the mission of his or her shop? Then they get orders and invariably we're blessed to have another Airman step into the breach and take ownership of the job and the responsibility for those working in a support role. Sometimes it's temporary, as our warriors deploy for 60, 120, 179 or even 365 days ... but then return and pick up where they left off with a new perspective and appreciation for how their role fits into the overall "big picture." Other times it's more permanent as personnel PCS and those selected to fill their body armor continue to make the mission happen. Truly amazing! Very few organizations have a depth chart as robust as ours. 

We sometimes grumble at the term "change for the sake of change." The idea being that in order for a commander or other leader to leave a legacy, they must somehow change things. But when we bring new personnel into an organization--no matter their level of responsibility--they bring with them new vision, perspective, energy, ideas and opportunities based on their previous assignments or life experiences. They remind us there are many roads to achieving the same goal: Doing what's right for the unit, for the Air Force and for the mission we perform on behalf of the American people. Rather than bristle at the thought of the change they're going to bring, perhaps we should allow for the possibility that they may actually have a better idea. Rarely in my career have I seen someone arbitrarily change something just to be "different." More often than not, the decision is based on a real need to ensure regulatory compliance or to improve efficiency, mission effectiveness or quality of life. 

This system by which we infuse new blood into our organizations allows us to regularly take a fresh look at how we execute the mission. The "new guy" is free to ask "WHY" - Why do we do things a certain way? or Why do we even do them at all? If the answer is "because we've always done it that way" (and nobody remembers the deeper rationale), then we probably ought to take a closer look to ensure the "way we've always done it" is still the RIGHT way. Putting new leadership in place also allows the trench warriors a fresh opportunity to present their own ideas for improvement. Having a new ear to bend can be all someone needs to make their innovation a reality. 

I truly believe that 99 percent of the great new ideas will come from our young Airmen ... not the colonels or chiefs. These ideas don't have to involve an AFSO-21 event or an IDEA program input, but they do require initiative and encouragement. We as commanders and senior leaders need to take advantage of these creative minds in our midst. While we bring considerable experience to the fight, we're also accustomed to years of doing it a certain way which may limit our perspective. And if a smarter or safer or more effective way to do business is presented to us, we're compelled to pursue it. 

Dover's mission is unique, and we are truly blessed to have this well-trained, intelligent and highly capable community of warriors dedicated to making it happen. We're doubly fortunate to have a long line of talent eager to change things for the better. "Constant change" isn't a curse; it's a catalyst for injecting new thinking, ingenuity and energy into our ever-evolving mission.