Photo By Master Sgt. Ashley Hyatt | Tech. Sgt. Robert Preston, 423rd Mobility Training Squadron Formal Training School NCO...... read more read more
JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. --
Airmen at the U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center headquarters and U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Operations School had the opportunity to showcase their capabilities to Gen. Jacqueline Van Ovost, Air Mobility Command commander, and Chief Master Sgt. Brian Kruzelnick, AMC command chief, during their visit to the USAF Expeditionary Center, Dec. 10, 2020, at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey.
The AMC command team received mission briefs and toured the campus to get a first-hand look at how the Airmen meet the command’s priorities.
“Spot On! We are seeing our Expeditionary Center Airmen really embrace the National Defense Strategy and the [Chief of Staff of the Air Force’s] ‘Accelerate Change or Lose’,” said Van Ovost.
AMC’s priorities are to develop the force, advance warfighting capabilities, project the joint force, and ensure strategic deterrence.
“When we look at the top of our priorities, we have ‘Develop the Force and Advance Warfighting Capabilities’, that happens right here,” said Kruzelnick. “We’re literally developing the force. If it’s in the Agile Combat Employment world - we have Multi-Capable Airmen (MCA), right here.”
The AMC commander and command chief explained the importance of MCA to Airmen within AMC and the Air Force.
“Multi-Capable Airmen is an important concept to have Airmen that can do more than one thing especially when we think about moving to more austere environments,” Van Ovost stated. “We’re talking about munitions personnel that can also do hot-pit refueling and having some extra tasks that’s going to slim down these forward packages, so that we can do integrated combat turns.”
“As I look across the team here, not only are they building students that are playing into what a Multi-Capable Airman is, but think of the cadre,” said Kruzelnick. “The cadre come from career fields all across the Air Force and when they come here they are doing things that are outside of their functional badge, then we put them back into the force after they do their time here and now they bring that skillset of being multi-capable.”
During the tour, the USAF Expeditionary Operations School instructors assigned to the 421st Combat Training Squadron and 423rd Mobility Training Squadron demonstrated the training their students receive.
“Today, we got to see the counter-IED petting zoo where they had buried IEDs and noise makers for a more realistic experience,” said Van Ovost. “Instead of showing a slide, you’re actually walking by and seeing these students notice what a buried IED looks like. It’s great innovation by the team here! When we think about how quickly these Airmen see the need in the field and then revise the course to meet that need and publish the course so quickly and continue to get that feedback, it’s amazing!”
The AMC command team concluded their visit with some advice.
“The foundation of our capabilities are our people and we don’t get there unless we have resilient Airmen and resilient families,” said Van Ovost. “When you’re embraced by your supervision and your teammates as someone who can participate and make a difference and your families are also embraced by them, that’s a winning combination. That’s a high power team right there.”
“I have full confidence that we are going down the right direction,” Kruzelnick added. “Full confidence in everybody who is executing within this command, and the boss and I both have a deep appreciation for what they do because we know it’s hard. We care about everyone. And we have a deep love for all of them.”
| Date Taken: | 12.10.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 01.14.2021 15:49 |
| Story ID: | 384933 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, NJ, US |
| Web Views: | 81 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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