MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. -- July, 2022 was a busy month for the 908th Airlift Wing at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama.
Air Force Reserve Command’s only wing in the state saw four different assumptions of command during the July Unit Training Assembly.
First up was Lt. Col. Stuart Martin assuming command of the 908th Maintenance Group, after serving as the 433rd Maintenance Group commander at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas.
Then it was time for Martin to bestow command of the 908th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron to Maj. Manuel de Diego, who joined the wing from the 168th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron of the Alaska Air National Guard.
Next up, the wing saw the Commander of the 908th Mission Support Group, Col. Clinton Cash transfer command of the 908th Civil Engineer Squadron to Lt. Col. Randall Gibbs, who joined the wing from the 560th Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineers operation flight commander at Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina.
The last assumption of the UTA saw Cash transfer command of the 908th Security Forces Squadron to Maj. Scott Graves. Graves is no stranger to the 908th, serving as a pilot with the 357th Airlift Squadron for the last five years.
Also during the UTA, the 908th Aeromedical Staging Squadron taught a basic lifesaving course for wing members at the Maxwell Air Force Base clinic. The course certified students in CPR and other lifesaving procedures.
Another event during the UTA was a basic helicopter rotary systems class that was taught to members of the 908th Maintenance Group. The class aided the 908th Airlift Wing’s transition to the U.S. Air Force’s first MH139-A Grey Wolf helicopter Formal Training Unit giving many 908 MXG members a head start in their learning the new systems.
Immediately following the UTA 908 AW Commander Col. Craig Drescher called on 35 enlisted and officer senior leaders from every squadron and group to join him and the other two thirds of his command team consisting of 908 AW Vice Commander, Col. Casey Burril, and 908 AW Command Chief, Chief Master Sgt. Tracy Cornett, for a wing strategic alignment conference July 11 and 12, 2022, at Air University’s Fairchild Library on Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama.
After more than two weeks of deliberation, the wing has announced its new mission, vision and priorities. The 908th Airlift Wing’s new mission statement is to “Develop and Deliver Multi-Capable Airmen."
The 908 AW’s new vision statement is to be "The Premier Wing that Inspires Transformational Servant Leaders and Exports Excellence." The wing’s new priorities are: Develop Airmen; Accelerate and Sustain Readiness; Communication; and Prepare for MH-139 Beddown.
One of the last major events for the month took place July 28, when the wing commander sat down for a one-on-one interview detailing the State of the 908th Airlift Wing that lasted more than an hour.
One of the key concepts echoed throughout that interview was the idea of getting back to basics; dress and appearance, customs and courtesies, military bearing. Look for the 908th Airlift Wing Public Affairs team to feature these items and others that fit the concept of getting “back to basics” in the coming months.