Brig. Gen. Shanahan shares vision for wing, advises CGOs to succeed

  • Published
  • By Rogelie R. Johnson
  • 55th Wing Public Affairs
OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. --  Forty-four company grade officers were all ears as Brig. Gen. John N.T. Shanahan, 55th Wing commander, conveyed his vision of the 55th Wing and the role of Offutt CGOs during the Company Grade Officers' Council meeting July 14 at the Air Force Weather Agency auditorium.

Offutt CGOC President Capt. Sean Park, deputy chief of the Commander's Action Group, said the town hall meeting was a chance for CGOs to hear General Shanahan's perspectives.

"This was a great opportunity to gain key insight into the future of Offutt," said 1st Lt. Lana Castilla, deputy chief of battle environments for AFWA. "Anytime there is change in wing leadership, there are course adjustments that align the wing mission according to the new leadership. Through town hall meetings, such as this, we are able to learn about [the wing commander's] personality, priorities, pet peeves and passions.

During his address, one of General Shanahan's main points was to "start working your bosses' bosses' priorities." He stressed that by knowing those priorities and lining them up, officers can work more productively at accomplishing their missions and goals.

"It is important that every Fightin' Fifty-Fifth Airman sees how our wing mission, vision, priorities and goals line up with those of our higher headquarters and the other key agencies we work with every day," General Shanahan further emphasized in a recent memorandum sent to all 55th Wing Airmen.

1st Lt. Michael Hoerber, commander of the Heartland of America Band, agreed with the general's view.

"I think his passion for continuing and advancing the 55th Wing's record of excellence is infectious," Lieutenant Hoerber said. "It's great to have a leader who loves what he does. We, as CGOs, play a critical role in advancing the wing and combat command's vision by relating and advocating his goals to our respective units."

Another point General Shanahan made clear during his speech was that officers must excel in their work in order to succeed. Airmen should do their best in whatever it is they do, and the recognition will follow, he said. He recalled being a young navigator during his early years in the Air Force and doing his best regardless of how ludicrous some of his bosses' requests sometimes seemed.

General Shanahan reminded the CGOs that they are Airmen first.

"It seems that his vision is excellence with a warrior ethos," Lieutenant Castilla said. "He echoes why we are all here, 'to Fly, Fight, and Win' and be the superior force to do it. Based on several things he said, I believe that he sees CGOs as a powerful future for the Air Force, because we are on the cutting edge of technologies, strategies and warfare."

But knowing how to do one's job is not the end goal, General Shanahan said.

"You have to start thinking operationally and strategically," General Shanahan continued. "Being tactical is only good for the first 10 to 14 years of your career. If you want to get ahead, you must not only be good at your job; you also need to think about the bigger picture."

For example, General Shanahan said that in order to succeed, he educated himself by reading books about strategic plans, warfare, national security and cross-domain integration. This developed his ability to horizontally integrate multi-intelligence information of air, space and cyberspace to enable the Air Force to rapidly integrate data of time-sensitive targets.

He emphasized cross-domain integration for the wing because it's important in winning not only today's war on terrorism, but all future wars as well.

"I completely agree that in today's world, to fight today's wars, it is absolutely critical we synergize every domain to produce the most complete and desired effect," Lieutenant Hoerber said.

The wing must partner with other branches to start integrating ideas, and in order to do so, Airmen must network, General Shanahan added. He encouraged the officers to go outside their comfort zone, network with people from other squadrons and mentor those junior to them.

"Being a part of the CGOC is the first step," General Shanahan said. "It gives officers the opportunity to meet people from different squadrons and branches."

Captain Park explained the Offutt CGOC was established to serve as an advisory council to the wing commander regarding CGO issues. The council also aims to maintain and improve the quality of life, morale and professional development for all active-duty officers and their families while providing Airmen a chance to network, he said.

"It is very beneficial and motivating when leadership takes an interest in you and your peers, such as in the CGOC," Lieutenant Castilla said. Perhaps because the wing commander is showing more support for us, more CGOs will participate in the council, she added.

But there is one problem: lack of participation.

Many military servicemembers with families would rather spend time with their spouses and children, whereas the singles crowd enjoys other social activities, Lieutenant Hoerber explained.

"However, I still think opportunities are out there for increased networking and should be sought after," Lieutenant Hoerber said. "The opportunity is here and available, but it's up to us to make it happen."

One such opportunity is Offutt's CGOC Colloquium set for Aug. 3, 3:30 to 4:30 p.m., at the Daugherty Conference Center.

In addition to General Shanahan, two other flag officers are scheduled to speak at the event: Maj. Gen. Abraham Turner, chief of staff of United States Strategic Command and Brig. Gen. David Peterson, assistant adjutant general of the Nebraska Air National Guard.

"The colloquium will give CGOs a chance to gain joint perspective from different branches and talk about leadership in the joint military environment," Captain Park said.

CGOC general meetings are held the first Friday of the month at the Patriot Club at 3:30 p.m. Officers in the ranks of second lieutenants to captains are invited to attend.

For more information about the council or the colloquium, contact Captain Park at sean.park@offutt.af.mil.