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18th Air Force Commander visits base, explains Facebook

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Jennifer Buzanowski
  • 92nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. --  "This is my Facebook," said the 18th Air Force commander, holding up his 5"x7" steno pad while explaining he writes the days of the week and the names of Airmen he supervises.

"The foundation of leadership is relationships. Relationships need conversation. Conversation means eyeball to eyeball."

"Put an 'x' on the day we have a conversation. You will change your life and you may just change their lives. Half the time what

I find out about an Airman in a 90-second conversation, their supervisor doesn't even know," said Lt. Gen. Robert Allardice as he addressed hundreds of Team Fairchild members at the base's Hangar 3 June 30.

Asking a staff sergeant in the audience how many Airmen he supervises, the NCO replied "eight." General Allardice said "if you talked to all eight of your Airmen for 90 seconds each day that would be 12 minutes." Addressing the crowd he asked, "Do we have 12 minutes for our Airmen?"

While visiting Fairchild June 28-30, he saw first-hand how Airmen were conducting flying and maintenance operations out of the Spokane International Airport and Moses Lake.

"Frankly, you've done a tremendous job with the split operations," said General Allardice.

He complimented the 92nd and 141st Air Refueling Wings for their historic KC-135 Stratotanker flight to the Transit Center at Manas, Kyrgyzstan, by way of flying directly over the North Pole. "A 12.3 hour flight of historical significance," said General Allardice.

The General also shared how Joint Base Lewis-McChord's 62nd ARW, also a sister wing under 18th AF, recently flew to the South Pole for an aeromedical evacuation mission. The pilot landed the C-17 Globemaster with aid of night vision goggles. The aircraft was only on the ground for 43 minutes before bringing the National Science Foundation member to a hospital in New Zealand.

"These two missions illustrate what's so cool about AMC. When the phone rings, we answer the call."

The General acknowledged the high operations tempo for Fairchild, especially while its runway is under construction. Fairchild Airmen are deployed to dozens of places around the globe. "You are all doing a great job and it doesn't go unnoticed."

Meeting standards, having a good attitude and being in shape helps build a strong team to get the mission done. "There are always going to be people who grumble and moan - even in the Air Force. Don't let them get you down. Have an enthusiastic attitude and stay focused."