Downloadable - Hancock Field Air National Guard Base

Colonel Anthony Basile174th FW, CommanderCommander’s CommentsTWell, AEF has started for the174 th Fighter Wing. You’reprobably thinking that I’ve misreadthe calendar, and I think I’m writingthe October Commander’s Comments.Nope, I’ve got it right………..this particulartime. Eight of our jets, a wholebunch of our stuff, and even some ofour unit members are operating in acombat zone, right now.It’s taken a lot of preparation fromeverybody to get us to this point. Anincredible amount of work has goneinto the jets to make sure that they are combat ready. Anincredible amount of work has also gone into our training tomake sure WE are combat ready.For those of us staying at home, our job of preparing andsupporting deployed personnel won’t be over until they allarrive back homesafely. For the nextmonth, remember-ing that should beeasy, as our mainpackage hasn’t leftyet. Once they do,however, they willneed a sense of ur-gency from those ofus at home whetherit’s to get a partshipped, or help their family with thebusted water heater at home. Supporting the mission whilewe are deployed, and helping with arrangements to get everybodyand everything home when it’s over, is our purposein life back at Hancock Field.Suggestion and Concerns ProgramBy Chief Master Sgt. Ted Mosley, 174 th FW, Command Chiefhis may seem like old news to you,but the Hancock Field Chiefs Councilasked me to address the Suggestion/Concern program again. The Chiefs Council has had thisprogram for several years and has addressed many issuesthat could not be resolved by immediate supervisors.Here is how the program works. Outside mostChief’s offices is a box with blank Suggestion/Concernsforms. The form has space to write your topic, a space tocheck if you want a direct response, and a place to sign youname if you choose. After you fill out the form put in thebox or hand it to any Chief on base, and I repeat, ANYChief. Once the Chief reviews the document, it is their responsibilityto act on it if they can. For whatever reasonthey cannot, they will in turn take it to the Chief’s Councilfor action. If the topic is something that the base populousshould know about, it will then be published in the En-Garde.In our numerous contingency deployments over theyears, I have both deployed and stayed home to support.Being on the tip of the spear is a more glorious job than thesupport role, but notmore important tothe cause. Alwaysremember that thetip of the spear can-not do its job withoutthe rest of thespear.Enjoy your fami-lies on Family Day.I think we have agreat event plannedfor the Hancock Field community.I look forward to seeing you and your loved ones on Sunday.One of the recent concerns that Ireceived was about the desert BDUfloppy hats. The individual was trying tobe proactive and obtain a hat prior to ourupcoming Air Expeditionary Force (AEF) tasking.The rule states; no desert individual equipment canbe issued unless we have specific tasking. This is not a174 th FW rule, it is an NGB, USAF and CENTAF rule. Forthis next AEF, both hats are currently authorized as well asthe black and brown tee-shirts.If you are deploying both the regular and the floppydesert hats are being issued for the AEF by the 174 th clothingissue.The above is just one example of the types of suggestions/concernsthat we see. If there is any, I mean ANY,issues you may have, please do not be afraid to use this program.It is there for you!174th Fighter Wing3 3