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Commander addresses Team Fairchild on ‘State of the Wing’

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Whitney Laine
  • 92nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. --  Col. Derek Salmi, 92nd Air Refueling Wing commander, hosted three “State of the Wing” all-calls to discuss upcoming events for the wing, the way ahead on housing concerns and initiatives such as Fairchild University and Inland Spark Mar. 18, 20 and 22.

Salmi also discussed his priority for the 92nd ARW to maintain full spectrum readiness, which goes beyond donning mission oriented protective posture gear.

“We recently teamed up with Inspector General leadership to build an orchestrated campaign to strengthen our cyber defense,” Salmi said. “Our full-spectrum readiness focus is not only our ability to don personal protective equipment, launch aircraft or defend installations … it’s also our cyber security against adversary threats.”

Salmi gave recognition to Team Fairchild’s many recent accomplishments and highlighted how each Airman’s efforts enable the air refueling mission. In total, the wing has earned more than 85 awards over the course of the past year.

“Members tend to focus on their daily duties and forget how vital their contributions are in the overall success of our wing,” said Tech Sgt. James Peacock, 92 ARW Religious Affairs Chaplain Corps readiness and training NCO in-charge. “The direct communication between leadership and the Airmen allows each member to see their impact is much greater than just local…Team Fairchild’s men and women are enabling the world’s best Air Force to sustain global air superiority!”

He also emphasized resident quality-of-life improvements and the status of on-base housing following the AF-wide housing review conducted late February as directed by Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson and Chief Secretary of the Air Force General David Goldfein.

“The housing conditions of our Airmen and families remain our top concern,” Salmi said. “We recently surveyed 23 homes throughout the installation to ensure base housing is meeting the Department of Defense and U.S. Air Force health and safety criteria; all met the DoD standards.”

Fairchild is the world’s largest refueling wing and currently supports 44 KC-135 Stratotankers, but will eventually have 59 KC-135s along with supporting personnel and their families, Salmi said.

One way Fairchild has prepared for the base’s expansion is by launching the AF Connect App to offer direct links to base resources, events, maps and more. Airmen are being granted more opportunities to foster personal and professional development with Fairchild University and Inland Spark, a creative thinking space to promote innovation, available later this year.

“We will continue to grow and hone our legacy of excellence by enhancing the quality of Air Force life, which will help us continue to provide responsive air refueling and agile combat support for the full-range of operations,” he added.