Wingman concept essential to safety

  • Published
  • By Col. Timothy Zadalis
  • 60th AMW acting commander
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  I am sad to report our streak of no DUIs came to an end last week. Though disappointed the streak ended, I am very proud of the 45 days we went without a DUI. Speaking with the rest of the base’s leadership, none of us can remember a period that long in quite a while. 

What this shows me is that our Airmen are taking the Wingman concept to heart and it is working. 

Continue to look out for each other and make quality decisions not at the bar or after a few drinks, but before that first drink is poured. 

I’m confident we will soon be celebrating 120 days without a DUI and awarding everyone with a sports down-day. Keep up the outstanding work. 

On the lines of keeping a lookout for your Wingman, a disturbing trend is on the rise in Air Mobility Command. 

Over the past few weeks, there have been three suicides. I believe you would all agree with me that even one suicide is too many. 

With our current operations tempo, it is critical we keep an eye out for each other and ourselves. There are so many places to go to get help, so please don’t hesitate to talk to someone. There is nothing more important to me than protecting your life. Nothing. 

Not to continue a stream of bad news; but, we had an unfortunate incident of someone intentionally setting fire to a bathroom at Eucalyptus Park March 5. 

Someone’s criminal act will impact all of us. Funding is tight, and we will have to make significant cuts elsewhere if it’s to be rebuilt. If you have any information or saw any suspicious activity, please call 424-3971. 

Finally, I have some exciting news to share with the wing this week. 

Our wing commander, Col. Lyn Sherlock, will be back in command starting Saturday after her four-month deployment supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom and humanitarian missions to the Horn of Africa. Please help me welcome Colonel Sherlock back to the Travis Team with open arms. 

Being the acting wing commander has been an incredible experience for me, and one that will stand out in my Air Force career. Not because of all the hard work, but all the support I received from each and every person I came in contact with in the Travis Team.
With every tough decision or obstacle which came my way, there were always quality people providing me first-rate information to make educated decisions. 

Carol and I want to take this time to say thank you to each and every one of you. The past five months have been a whirlwind for us, but we had a blast. I couldn’t have done it without you.