'Adult Air Force' existed for 571st GMRS

  • Published
  • By Maj. Matthew G. Butler
  • 571st Global Mobility Readiness Squadron
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  This is my final commentary as commander of the 571st Global Mobility Readiness Squadron, a unit recently transformed into the 921st Contingency Response Squadron. Normally, the following comments would be reserved for a change-of-command ceremony or going-away gathering, but I wanted to publicly thank an outstanding group of Airmen.

Commenters via unofficial military blogs and Facebook groups lament the passing of a mythical "Adult Air Force" or "AAF." Usually, these comments are applied with some snark toward the weekly outrage of a policy, leadership decision or individual buffoonery. However, I maintain the Adult Air Force is not simply organizational nostalgia. I proudly state that place is not a myth. It existed in the 571st GMRS.

I will be the first to disclaim that I am not the second coming of Curtis LeMay. We only enjoyed a professional, fun atmosphere because of the hard work of Airmen, trained by NCOs, mentored by Senior NCOs and managed by officers. Leadership was not stove-piped. It was in everyone's "wheel house." I could not be more thankful to such sterling representatives of our profession of arms.

Thank you to the Airmen. You kept your noses clean, leaned into the rain and led upward. You volunteered or cheerfully accepted every deployment coming your way while dedicating yourselves to honing your core craft. You should also be proud of your fellow Airman Leadership School distinguished graduates or Levitow Award winners as well as multiple "outstanding performers" in numerous exercises and inspections.

I'm just lucky not to have run out of coins. I could not be prouder of Airmen who grew into their own IGs, inspecting programs throughout the wing and up-channeling deficiencies along with best practices. We treated senior airmen as "corporals" and you never disappointed as peer leaders.

Thank you to the Senior NCOs and NCOs. You allowed me to lead your flights or sections as much as you needed, which was not much at all. I could leave our holiday party knowing a nod from my master sergeants meant everyone would get home safely. I was never surprised by anything on a Monday morning. Technical sergeants were subject-matter experts while staff sergeants earned their first leadership pay. When the bubble went up, you were as eager as your Airmen to answer the call. NCOs took care of NCO business. You made my job way too easy.

Thank you to the officers. You stayed out of the NCOs' way. Carry on.

Thank you to my boss. You allowed me to be a squadron commander. Every other commander knows what that means and there can be no higher compliment.

We never "called a game" because of rain. We never once gave up on any mission, tasking, expectation or requirement. I never heard grumbling after we moved out on a major decision. You always took care of each other, in the field and in garrison. We "won" Eagle Flag, U.S. Transportation Command's Joint Task Force-Port Opening major exercise. Motorcycle mentorship rides, ice cream socials, barbecues and bowling tournaments were a good time rather than "mandatory fun."

As I briefed every one of you upon in-processing: There is no draft; the Air Force is not a prison sentence, smiling is authorized. Furthermore, your families were awesome and always supportive of our contingency response mission. In this same regard, I want to thank my wife, Becky, for sacrificing so much for our family and the Air Force.

This may seem like the ramblings of a commander whose time in the seat has grown short, but these things are important. They are the difference between our effective volunteer fighting force and a distracted, unfocused organization pursuing no clear mission. Thank you, 571st GMRS, for being a bastion of the adult Air Force.