12th Air Force commander visits Offutt

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Peter R.O. Danielson
  • 55th Wing Public Affairs
OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. --  Lt. Gen. Glenn Spears, 12th Air Force and Air Forces Southern commander, made his first official visit to Offutt as the 55th Wing's numbered Air Force commander on July 13 and 14. During his stay, General Spears was briefed on mission capabilities, saw new buildings, met with young Airmen and hosted a wing-wide all call.

The Fightin' Fifty-Fifth was incorporated into the 12th AF on Oct. 1, 2009. Since then, General Spears said working with the wing has been very rewarding.
"It's been a fantastic opportunity to incorporate the 55th's passion and skill into the 12th Air Force," said General Spears. "I have known of the 55th as long as I've been in the Air Force, but this is the first chance for me to get an in-depth glimpse of what the wing is doing every single day."

While at Offutt, General Spears shared his perspectives on some key issues facing today's Air Force member.

"As Airmen, we are part of a broader team," he said. "We contribute to that team best when we know our capabilities and responsibilities first. Our team becomes world-class when we work together and understand what we can do and what we need to do."
General Spears said, "The Air Force mission of global dominance in cyberspace means we must keep adapting to emerging technology. These new technologies change how our enemies are able to attack us".

"When I was younger, cyber wasn't even a word that existed, unless I had misspelled something on a grade-school test," said General Spears. "Now, it's a full domain in itself."

General Spears also talked about the health of Airmen, emphasizing the importance of the July 1 physical fitness program change.

"Physical fitness is part of being an Airman," said General Spears. "The updated PT program isn't a drastic change; we still need to run, do push-ups and sit-ups and stay in shape. It's more a recognition that we need to be fit year-round. Physical stresses and rigors aren't only happening while deployed. Those stresses and rigors in-garrison are equally high."

Beyond physical well-being, General Spears spoke about the importance of mental health.

"Part of our culture is our wingman ethic, our support of our fellow Airmen," said General Spears. "I want to take that one step further and be proactive and protective of our wingmen. We should be aware and notice when a wingman is in trouble or overstressed, and we should actively reach out and engage him or her. Proactive wingmen will ensure our Air Force family is strong all the way through the 21st century."

Turning to the issue of force end-strength, the recent date-of-service rollback and other force-shaping measures may have people worried, but they're in place for a reason, said General Spears. The Air Force as a whole can only budget for 325,000 active-duty members, and certain career fields are too full, he continued.

"The Air Force isn't over-recruiting," said General Spears. "We're just doing so well at taking care of our people that we're not experiencing the same rate of attrition. The Air Force wants to be able to retrain you because we've invested so much to get you to where you are today."

While General Spears toured Offutt, Kim Spears, General Spear's wife, took a look at different Air Force family programs, including the reintegration briefing, suicide awareness program and Rising View family housing.

"Let me emphasize that Kim and I are particularly proud of the men and women of the Fightin' Fifty-Fifth," General Spears said. Later during the day General Spears notified Brig. Gen. John N.T. Shanahan, 55th Wing Commander, that the wing had won the Air Combat Command Meritorious Unit Award for 2010.