Command Corner: June 6

  • Published
  • By Col. Steven Harrison
  • 436th Airlift Wing
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  Many thanks to the 436th Services Squadron, the staff of The Landings Club and all our great sponsors in putting on a fabulous NASCAR Social at The Landings Club May 30! It certainly was a special occasion as Team Dover's family and friends, along with NASCAR teams and their drivers, enjoyed great food, bouncy castles, mini-racing, and of course autograph signing and NASCAR memorabilia during what has become a legendary pre-race event! 

Meanwhile, NASCAR weekend at Dover Downs International Speedway was literally an Air Force highlight reel from the men and women of Team Dover. Race fans were treated to demos and displays from our Fire Department and Explosives Ordnance Disposal unit, while our Honor Guard performed, Chaplain Rummage offered a pre-race blessing, and members from the 3rd Airlift Squadron conducted a C-17 flyover to kick off the NASCAR race weekend! It was also nice to see many of you clear your calendars to volunteer your time and effort assisting Dover Downs with the more than 300,000 estimated fans over the course of the entire weekend. 

On Wednesday, Team Dover celebrated another historic milestone as Col. Randal Bright and I joined more than 40 of Dover's community leaders and honorary commanders on the anniversary of the "Spirit of Constitution's" maiden flight. Since that time we've added another seven aircraft, even sending our most recent addition directly to support the Global War on Terror less than 24 hours after its arrival. That's a testament to the quality of product we're receiving and the critical nature of Team Dover's role in the fight. 

Another event that I hope everyone will clear their calendars for is the upcoming Wing Picnic on June 13. There will be plenty of food and activities for all to enjoy at the Eagle's Nest Picnic Area. The picnic starts at 11 a.m., and while the food service only lasts till 2 p.m., the kid zone area will remain open until 3 p.m. We hope to see you there! 

The timing of these extracurricular activities is a perfect opportunity to relax and enjoy all that Dover has to offer as we begin making final preparations for our operational readiness inspection. Beginning June 16, we kickoff our week-long Elephant Walk exercise, which will allow us to make final refinements to our processes and correct any deficiencies identified during the fly-away exercise to Alpena, Mich. 

Ultimately, we've reached the point in our planning and preparation where your attention to detail could be the deciding factor between an "Excellent" or an "Outstanding" on our inspection. We've all worked extremely hard to showcase Dover's full-spectrum excellence ... now let's bring it home! 

As we enter the ORI "end game" coincident with the 101 Critical Days of Summer, we can't take our eye off the safety ball. I'm pleased to report that by focusing on a sound safety culture, we've completed the first two weeks of the 101 Critical Days without a mishap or fatality. Every member of our world-class team is vital as a person and a warfighting asset. Please maintain your focus on safety, and I'm confident we can have the safest 101 Critical Days in Dover history! 

Having fun and sharpening our readiness posture, while maintaining an eagle eye on safety ... just three more reasons Team Dover is "America's Preeminent Expeditionary Airlift Team!"