Forum: Air Force Life

Last edited by elp on Nov 01, 2005 - 07:21 PM; edited 1 time in total

OK

This goes with the belief on my part that on any given day, you can find any number of methods or process or program in the USAF that might not be so hot, but... the talent pool of the USAF, the people, in my opinion just keep getting better, in spite of any other influence. I get to see a lot of stuff in the USAF but it always impresses me how the NCOs and Officers just keep getting better. This I believe. Having said all that,...

I don't think it is in our best interest to have Generals run a combat wing. Yeah I am sure they are capable but they should be used for bigger picture stuff and be moving beyond command-of-a-startship and pressing with bigger flag rank issues. Why in my day Laughing

( really I'm not that old ).... A highly motivated colonel ( O-6 ) could run a combat wing and run it well. IMO we have too many generals. Add a general and then you have to add his aides... a busier protocol etc etc etc. Something just not needed in the fast hustle bustle of day to day stuff in a combat wing. In order for the general to go somewhere his staff have to be ahead,...have the flag all set up for when he/she gets there and who knows how many things are done, just because the staff thinks it is in the best interest of the general etc. A fully motivated colonel driving his own car and showing up anywhere on his turf to either give praise or bust heads, IMO is much more effective. If you as a flyer at the O-6 rank don't know how a combat wing runs by this time ..... etc ... etc... I would be surprised. Given that we had full colonels as the top dog on a base where you had nuke B-52s on alert and all the other stuff that entails in the day of the typewriter and carbon paper, I just don't see where putting a one star general in the same job is value added today. Add to that that I am most impressed with our 0-5 LtCol rank these days which pound for pound have their act together by a large margin. So anyway, I think we could do some realignment here and be better for it. I like generals and think they are fine people. Once you reach Yoda ability like that, your talents are better doing bigger picture stuff, not running a combat wing. Give me a full colonel to run a combat wing any day. It was good enough for Lemay in the cold war days and even past his days.

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Great Post, you have shacked this topic. Anyone who has been around knows what you are saying about O-6's being in charge. We never had Generals at the Wing level until the mid to late 80's and before that we did just fine with full birds. We could save a ton of money if we did go "Back to the Future", that's what maintenance has done going back to the DCM concept. If you stick around long enough everything goes full circle back to where you started. So maybe we can have full birds as wing CC's again.

Our wing CC here wears the bird, no crusty generals for us. I think he is doing a fantastic job of managing this wing. To his credit we just opened a new AMC terminal, we are building several new facilities, we have several geographically separated units, all under his purview. I agree that a general shouldn't be in-charge of a combat wing. I can see a general doing a consolidated wing with multiple services, but to run a USAF wing it just seems like they would do that to stop his progression.

I totally agree with everyone above. But when I was at luke I had a general, Brig. Gen. Sergeant, he was awesome, then he left and we got an 0-6 and everything went to hell. I was still a newbie then and the older guys said things sucked because he was trying to get his star. and once he did things were ok then he left and the cycle started over. I think an 0-6 in charge of a wing is fine. like the unit im with now, but with luke being so large i understand why it has a general most of the time

What wings have an O-7 for their King? I know in the Guard, it is pretty much only full birdies...

IMO, the importance of the wing, including factors such as size and resources should dictate whether or not a Brigadier General or full-bird Colonel should command it. Personally, I'm happy with either and helps to encourage promotion and opens positions for it .

I've served at bases where both ranks were the wing king. I find that the BGen was cool. Sometimes, the Colonel can be less than because he's looking to prove himself for that first star.

swanee wrote:

What wings have an O-7 for their King? I know in the Guard, it is pretty much only full birdies...

56 FW Luke AFB,AZ there are 8 fighter squadrons not including the reserve unit

F16z28 wrote:

swanee wrote:

What wings have an O-7 for their King? I know in the Guard, it is pretty much only full birdies...

56 FW Luke AFB,AZ there are 8 fighter squadrons not including the reserve unit

Is each Squadron CO still an O-5 at Luke? Or do some of these have O-6s?

It goes by the size of your wing. Tyndall has 4 fighter squadrons, and the wing is commanded by an O-7.

However, when I was at Homestead, we had one fighter squadron, and the wing was commanded by an O-6.

The 33rd FW at Eglin has 2 squadrons and is commanded by an O-6.

Typically, wings with 3 or more squadrons will be commanded by an O-7. Two or less, an O-6. However, I do believe the BGen Wing/CC thing came about by some General with a bug up his @$$ about not being in a flying billet.

Beers and MiGs were made to be pounded!

Quote:

Typically, wings with 3 or more squadrons will be commanded by an O-7. Two or less, an O-6.

We have three fighter Sq's plus a new AMC terminal. Our Wing King is an O-6.

IDCrewDawg wrote:

Quote:

Typically, wings with 3 or more squadrons will be commanded by an O-7. Two or less, an O-6.

We have three fighter Sq's plus a new AMC terminal. Our Wing King is an O-6.

Ditto for Mtn Home...3 fighter squadrons and the CC is an O-6.

Newbie Joined: Apr 05, 2005 - 06:10 AM Posts: 4

Luke has 8 AD squadrons and the wing king is a full bird.

Shaba - What unit are you in at Mt Home?

Since I've lived in Sumter, Shaw AFB has had anywhere from 3 to 5 squadrons, with 3 being the current number. The Wing CC has always been an O-6 except for a brief time after the first Gulf War, where it was an O-7 for a while.

IDCrewDawg wrote:

Shaba - What unit are you in at Mt Home?

I am not from one of the fighter squadrons....I am from the 726 Air Control Squadron. I work closely with them, though.

Forum: Air Force Life

Generals as Wing CC