48th FIGHTER WING
UNITED STATES AIR FORCES IN EUROPE
Squadron Command
An Introductory Primer
By
Roderick C. Zastrow
Lt Colonel, USAF
5 MAY 03
DISCLAIMER
The views expressed in this paper are those of the author(s) and do not reflect the official policy
or position of the US government or the Department of Defense. In accordance with Air Force
Instruction 51-303, it is not copyrighted, but is the property of the United States government.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lieutenant Colonel Roderick C. Zastrow is the Deputy Commander of the 48th Operations Group
at Royal Air Force Lakenheath, United Kingdom. He is a 1984 AFROTC and Aerospace
Engineering Graduate of the University of Arizona. He went on to earn his wings and has flown
on five assignments in the F-15C in Europe, Southwest Asia, the US, and the Pacific, where he
was the squadron commander of the 44th Fighter Squadron “Vampire Bats.” He has also served
on the staff of Allied Air Forces Central Europe, NATO’s Stabilization Force, and SHAPE’s Air
Accession Working Group. He has led combat support and combat missions in DESERT
SHIELD/STORM and Operation NORTHERN WATCH. He most recently graduated from the
Air University’s Air War College in 2002.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to thank the following for their invaluable inputs, mentoring, editorial review, and
time for helping to broaden the utility of this paper in such an important aspect of our military
profession: Brigadier General Gary North, Colonel Frank Gorenc, Colonel George Earnhart, Lt
Colonel Joe Ward, Lt Colonel Steve Sheehy, Lt Colonel Laura DiSilverio, Major Ken Knight,
Major “Val” Voss, and 1Lt Jennifer Morani. Their ideas and assistance have been key to making
this effort applicable across the typical USAF wing. However, I am solely responsible for any
shortfalls or oversights. Finally, and most importantly, I would like to thank my family for their
support and sacrifice not only during my tenure as a squadron commander but for supporting the
follow-on effort to capture the concepts so vitally important to improving our United States Air
Force.
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Squadron Command
An Introductory Primer
Command represents the solemn responsibility of placing American sons and daughters
in harm’s way to protect and advance our nation’s interests. Combatant command encapsulates
the need to overcome an enemy’s will and force upon him our nation’s will. Command also
suggests the indescribable fulfillment experienced by both commanders and their units when
soldiers, sailors, or airmen work together and attain common goals. In the United States Air
Force (USAF), squadron command typically represents the first opportunity for officers to
execute their legal authority over a unit and its airmen. For all these reasons, it is imperative for
the USAF, its senior leadership, and its most recent commanders to prepare incoming
commanders for the challenge of command. This paper strives to do just that from a former
commander’s perspective.
The USAF’s commissioning programs, professional military education, and commander
preparation courses generally provide a firm academic grounding in leadership and command.
Yet, those courses typically fall short on experience-based insights. Meanwhile, most
scholarship on command focuses on broad leadership and command themes or on specific USAF
policy and programs. Not discounting the importance of these, little current guidance is
available to help prepare prospective commanders in developing a specific framework to
prepare for, and later, command at the unit or squadron level.1 A more comprehensive set of
insights and command experiences, beyond those of a command position handover, might have
allowed me to bypass some of the painful lessons I learned during my tenure. Thus, as a
squadron commander, I vowed to capture command insights, record experiences, and develop a
command framework that might most benefit future USAF squadron commanders.
This paper will introduce the experience-based concepts and ideas that I found
indispensable as a commander. Additionally, where appropriate and related to the core issues,
the paper will introduce helpful programs, ideas, and tips. This paper will not attempt to repeat
or replace AU-2 Guidelines for Command nor the material covered in major command
(MAJCOM) squadron commander courses. It is also not a checklist; it is a guide. Further,
bibliographical references such as AU-24, Concepts for Air Force Leadership, serve as useful
starting points for thinking about command.2 As all these references imply, command embodies
hard work—physically, mentally, and emotionally. In turn, shared command experience and
insight can build upon an academic foundation for introspective and careful planning of one’s
upcoming command. Many of these experiences and lessons offered are uniquely mine and
therefore limited in scope. Others having gone before and my peers certainly have their own
insightful experiences of challenges, problems, and victories. Aspiring commanders should seek
out a broad array of command perspectives. I then suggest meshing these into a command plan,
leadership style, and approach that fits your personality. Finally, work hard and enjoy the
results.
1
The most recent unit level books on command are Timmoty Timmons, Commanding An Air Force Squadron,
Maxwell AFB, AL: Air University Press, 1993, and Colonel David Goldfein’s Sharing Success, Owning Failure:
Preparing to Command in the 21st Century. Maxwell AFB, AL: Air University Press, April 2001. On-line. Internet.
31 October 2001. Available from http://www.au.af.mil/au/database/projects/ay2001/affp/goldfein.pdf .
2
Lester, Richard I. And A. Glenn Morton, eds, Concepts for Air Force Leadership, Maxwell AFB, AL: Air
University Press, 2001.
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Those having attended USAF professional military education have likely heard it before
but let me reemphasize that “commanding is an art.” Period. I cannot overstate the complexities
and uniqueness of command. While managing is quantifiable, commanding is anything but that.
Given command’s artistic nature, how does one who has experienced command convey that
experience in a useful way for aspiring commanders to read, assimilate, and internalize? This
paper will lay out a five-phase framework—preparation, transition, execution, sustainment, and
relinquishment/transition.
Preparation.
Develop a Commander Mindset. Command is a way of life, an art form, a work ethic.
Commanding equates to the legal authority and responsibility to utilize assigned people and
equipment to safely accomplish the unit mission. Commanding appears pure and simple in
theory, but becomes inexplicably complex in practice. A command mindset does not start at the
change of command—or it shouldn’t if you and your boss can help it. Those with a goal of
command and those would-be detachment commanders or second in command need to have
thought through command prior to assuming it, formally or by position.3 This need presumes
would-be commanders want to do more than just good enough. It is my experience that respected
leaders exhibit—and our USAF squadron commanders need—command excellence.
Unlike command itself, command excellence doesn’t just appear with positional change.
Command begins with a foundation of academic and experience-based learning. It includes
assimilating positive traits from good leaders and learning to avoid pitfalls from other’s mistakes
or misfortunes. Command excellence also takes desire—what General Colin Powell calls “fire
in the belly”—to lead and to succeed. A good commander also needs the endurance to continue
building those skills over a career and to hone those skills once in command. For most USAF
officers, squadron command is the first command challenge. Don’t let the first time you’ve
begun to think seriously about it occur the morning of your change of command as you look into
the mirror. The failure to think about commanding insidiously overcomes the typically busy
aspiring commander. I recall as a junior officer my squadron commanders making squadron
command look easy.
In that vein, future commanders that rise from the second-in-command, or operations
officer, position face particularly tough challenges. From that position the future commander
definitely understands the mission and the current squadron situation. However, a second-incommand can unintentionally develop a false sense of security, not fully appreciating the
pressures of command until he has taken the reins. Added to that are the challenges for a
second-in-command to change squadron mate perceptions of his being a former fellow squadron
member to being the commander with legal authority. Changing mindsets, whether the new
squadron commander or squadron members, as in the latter case, will require dedicated effort on
part of the new commander. However, there’s a lot more than meets the eye.
Detachment commanders and those placed in a command billet during the commander’s absence are typically
placed on G-series orders. This act conveys legal authority—and the responsibility of the incumbent commander.
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Build a Command Framework—Organize Your Observations, Beliefs, & Thoughts.
Internalizing the concept of command should occur as a natural transition from the formative
junior years of technical proficiency. Depending on career path, the broadening staff experience
or field grade pre-command positions provide a natural window of opportunity to develop and
consolidate thoughts on command. To the degree that aspiring commanders structure their
thoughts into a plan for command and an attendant leadership style, the easier they transition into
command. As a starting point in developing a command framework—write down the good, the
bad, and the ugly observations of former bosses’ command style. Keeping a separate, informal
section of notes aside for the next level of officership, in this case squadron command, can serve
as a constantly evolving lifelong reference for action. Take note of how commanders lead, how
they inspire warrior spirit, how they plan, how they organize, how they operate, how they
evaluate, how they discipline, how they conduct meetings, how they reward, and how they
integrate. My own limited observations became the foundation of my command game plan.
Other techniques to smooth the transition to command include preparing a change of command
speech (noting others’ speech protocol, delivery, content, and verbal thank you’s), developing or
refining the squadron mission statement or strategic plan, and preparing for the first talk with the
squadron’s officers, its enlisted members, and its civilians. I developed three themes that I
voiced in the change of command speech, at my first commander’s call, and, later, in every “new
guy” welcome interview (officers and senior non-commissioned officers) or welcome brief
(enlisted). I tied them to USAF core values to boost my confidence in my themes’ prospective
effectiveness without having to sound like a broken record. First, Devote yourself and develop
your team into the best practitioners of your trade (excellence and integrity). Second,
Demonstrate mutual support in all things to include work, social settings, and family (service
before self). Third, Develop better ways to do the mission (excellence). Later, I’ll discuss how
tying these together into a single, memorable phrase contributed to their implementation.
Get Physically, Mentally, Emotionally, & Spiritually Ready. For those who have not
yet taken stock of what values are important or how they think about pertinent USAF and
command issues, pre-command is the time to sort that out. I simply jotted down every issue I
could think of one weekend. I came up with about 75. Then, I jotted down how I felt about each
and how I would explain my views to both my group commander and my most junior airman.
This can be a strenuous and arcane mental exercise, in many cases without clear answers.
Having thought through a great number of issues BEFORE they arrive over the telephone at
0300L creates an important level of confidence upon assuming command. This mental
foundation then becomes a basis for action when tough issues do pop up. Events and issues to
consider include Red Cross messages, a Class A aircraft accident, personal behavior issues, child
abuse, race relations, alcohol use and abuse, and awards and decorations, among many others.4
Quite frankly, I didn’t have what I now consider adequate answers to many of these issues.
However, my having identified them at least made me think about them and allowed me to
identify my weak areas, and then to seek advice.
Once in command, I also found it helpful to mentally condition myself on a paced
program. The temptation will be to work 16 plus hours a day assimilating everything possible
4
Major Command and wing-level squadron commander courses typically provide extensive preparation in USAF
official policy as well as details and points of contact on related issues. However, squadron commanders may not
have the benefit of attending one of these courses until months into command, possibly too late for crisis resolution.
3
about the new unit and its people. While honorable, this type of schedule will cause the body to
cry “uncle” after about the third day and to alienate your people who will get tired of dealing
with a cranky boss by the end of the first week. Instead, eat healthy, work out (actually making
the time is the hard part, but is critical, as an example to your squadron), and mentally prepare
for a paced marathon of physical, mental and emotional activity punctuated with fun and family.
Finally, I suggest under girding a command tour with a faith-based approach and regular
church attendance. Beyond the obvious positive example of attending church, my colleagues
and I found great value in a strong religious underpinning, especially when things went wrong or
when the pressure seemed almost overwhelming. While each commander’s discretion works
best in this emotional area of one’s life, I concurrently caution against proselytizing or
commanding in a way that might put undue pressure on others. Similarly, a commander has to
understand and enforce standards of proper behavior and separation of church and state in the
workplace. The base legal office and certainly the base chaplain office can provide good advice.
Prepare Your Family and Home Life. Beyond preparing yourself, a commander must
prepare his family for this unique, demanding timeframe. They need to have some idea of the
level of responsibility that accompanies command. They deserve the forewarnings of the late
night and early morning calls, the extensive preparation for no-notice aircraft generations or
deployments, and the expectation of long days plotting out and executing the success of your
precious group of airmen. Your family must understand that being a squadron commander
means you are now the head of another family; one not more important than the other. Yes, both
families can live in harmony, and even help one another, but at times your first family will
require sacrifices. Not preparing them for these surprises is often unhealthy for any relationship,
whether as a spouse or as a parent. Organize family finances, investments, and educational
matters by placing them either in control of your spouse or as much on autopilot as possible. As
an extreme example, day trading and commanding just don’t mix; something will have to give
and no one can afford the downfall of either. In the end, prepare your family and remember to
maintain balance between work and family; moderation goes far to keep both on track.
Transition.
First Impressions. Throughout this entire stage remember the phrase, “you only get one
chance to make a first impression.” The motivating points behind this phrase are its corollary,
“first impressions are lasting” and the difficulty people have trying to overcome a bad first
impression. Specifically, be inquisitive but respectful of the outgoing commander. Additionally,
be visible but not overbearing as you take the reigns.
Strive for a Smooth Transition. In warfighting terms I would strive to make the change
of command (not just the ceremony) as seamless as possible and with minimum wake
turbulence. I found this part of command most uncertain and uncomfortable. However, I offer a
few principles. First, avoid probing around the squadron and its people on your own until after
the change of command. Doing otherwise undermines your predecessor’s command. Second,
ask for personnel folders or biographies on key personnel, for unit history, for the squadron’s
current vision and goals, and for unit performance reports and award nominations. You can
learn a lot about a squadron—and how it has been led—from just these. Knowing how it’s been
led can be a powerful orientation and decision tool early in command. Typically, incoming
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commanders will have a chance to mind-meld with out-going commander. Use this time wisely
to learn from and show respect to the out-going commander. Keep in mind that for the out-going
commander, the relinquishing of command is like giving up a child. The departing commander
will be rightfully proud of his unit and will likely want to tell you as much as possible so you can
make the squadron stronger. Listen carefully to the out-going commander’s comments. Some
may sound immaterial, but don’t be shortsighted. Take notes and refer to them later on. You
may learn something you never thought about, or something you won’t understand for weeks or
months to come. From this knowledge, you’ll have a better idea of the squadron’s ability to take
on additional mission taskings. You will also get a feel for the number and nature of disciplinary
cases, and the safety and effectiveness of the operation whether flying, maintaining, supporting,
or healing. Use caution if you ask for assessments of individuals. It can be refreshing for a
unit’s people to know they have a clean slate with a new commander. On the other hand, there is
clear value in knowing, in a general sense, the strengths, weaknesses, and personality conflicts of
people in key positions. My recommendation is to glean what you can from the outgoing
commander, knowing that your perspectives will vary. Then, study SERFs and OPRs/EPRs.
Finally, let people impress you. Later, if you need to make a personnel decision, you can dig for
further background as necessary. This approach should help make the people part of your
transition smooth with minimal risks of prejudging people with poor reputations or overlooking
high achievers.
Planning/Surviving the Change of Command. Preparing for the ceremony depends on
the group commander, the preceding squadron commander, and unit tradition. While the typical
USAF approach has been to celebrate a new commander, I prefer the European tradition of
honoring the outgoing commander and noting his accomplishments. A new commander should
accept command with a large dollop of humble pie—but yet be able to step up to the plate on
Day 1 and lead. As for the ceremony, thank everyone likely to have helped you get there,
provide two minutes worth of praising the unit on what they have done (this is critical in
showing the unit that you understand where they have been and how great they are), initial
guidance and optimism for the unit, and then sit down. My unit will gladly tell you I wasn’t so
successful at the timing bit. However, I’ve hopefully passed along my learned lesson! Also,
keep people out of the sun, count on rain if it’s outdoors, back-up everything, and practice the
ceremony thoroughly.
Execution.
Setting the Tone. Like giving first impressions, the early days of command will set the
tone for the unit. The first month will include a mix of mutual learning, policy revisions, and
goal setting. In that time, a new commander has the greatest opportunity of charting the course
of his command and communicating it effectively. In this phase there will be much uncertainty,
perceived vulnerability, and risk. However, use those variables and your talented people to lay
out your vision, implement a strategy, and motivate your people to achieve great things. One of
the first things to cross your mind will be wondering how to act. People should not change
personality because of a position change. If people liked your personality before, don’t change.
That said, the commander clearly has increased responsibilities, signifies UCMJ authority,
exemplifies USAF core values, and sets the tone for the squadron. Therefore, if you find
yourself developing more wisdom, using caution before speaking your mind, and thinking before
acting, then you’re on the right track to success. More to follow…
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Listen, Understand, Plan, then Change. Leading on Day 1/Week 1. In making your
first impression, be aware that your people will look to you and make early judgments on those
first days. Unless the unit is going through a disciplinary or mission thrash, I recommend
adopting a “receive-only” mode for one or more weeks (some say a month) before making
sweeping personnel or process changes. During this “receive-only” mode take time to talk with
your first sergeant, squadron leaders, and unofficial leaders. This is the critical time to build
bonds and show those who have been in the squadron longer than you, that you care about their
contributions to the squadron and where they have brought the squadron. This “receive-only”
period must also extend beyond the boundaries of your squadron. You must meet with wing
organizations that impact your squadron and its readiness, such as the JA, area defense counsel,
Health and Welfare Clinic, Life Skills Clinic (to include ADAPT), IG, MEO, and OSI, to
understand how they perceive and work with your squadron. The more issues that require rapid
change, e.g. safety issues, the shorter the timeframe you’ll likely spend before taking affirmative
steps. The faster and more you can learn about the squadron (mission, processes, people), the
better your judgment in implementing change. Of course, every commander wants to leave a
legacy of sorts, but this end does not justify the means of change for change sake. “If it’s not
broke, don’t fix it” has great applicability in maintaining stability. However, that shouldn’t stop
you from improving things, even areas that are apparently running well. Then, certainly, if a
program or process is broken, fix it or get help and then fix it. In the tool chest of things not to
do, I recommend avoiding the rapid adoption or change of squadron patches, mottos, etc. Unit
personnel will see through transparent changes. On the other hand, I would suggest learning
how and where the particular items of interest (a patch, etc.) originated and then measure the
likely impact on unit cohesion and morale that a change would bring. Finally, if you’ve got
things that would make the legal office or senior leadership cringe, then it’s likely time to find a
better alternative.
On the pro-active side, listen and take note of what your people do want changed and
why. Their insights will likely form your basis for change. Additionally, if you decide not to
instigate change, you can then better develop rationale to explain why things will not and should
not change. As you take in ideas or develop ones on your own, it’s time to begin understanding
the impact change will have on people, processes, and unit mission. As you begin to implement
change, whether instigated from your office or above, you’ve got to champion it and get buy in
across the ranks. Involve key supervisors early on to ensure the plan’s implementation succeeds.
Appointing a single person and giving them objectives and timelines will go far to ensure
success. Two principles are at work here—single point of contact and delegation of effort.
Sounds like centralized control and decentralized execution, right? Yes. This airpower principle
works equally well within the squadron as it does in combat operations.
Become a Tactical Strategist—Learn Unit Mission (output), Strategy/Practices
(process), and Assets (inputs). Without sounding like a throwback to the 1960s era of
statistically and process-driven management, I strongly suggest commanders think hard about
what they produce for the chain of command and learn how their unit does it. Is it air superiority
and thus sorties (and trained aviators) for a Joint Force Air and Space Component Commander
(JFASCC)? Is it constantly available transportation and thus vehicles (and drivers) for the base?
Or is it force protection and thus manned security stations (and weapons) for home or deployed
operations? No matter the product, all commanders must know more about the mission than its
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doctrinal title and peacetime function. Commanders must quickly learn what output and thus
what metrics their unit provides to both peacetime and wartime chains of command. An
insightful commander envisions his unit in deterrent and combat roles, whether in support of
homeland defense or EAF operations. From this understanding of the spectrum of expected
missions and tasks his unit may conduct, the commander should then improve or develop a
strategy (a plan) to better organize, train, and equip the unit within his limited resources.
To accomplish this strategy (the plan), the commander must then understand the
interrelated unit processes (also called the “how”, practices, or ways) that link his assets (means)
to achieve the desired effects or mission (ends). Does this sound like academic and laborious
effort? Yes. Do it. The commander needs to know who owns which piece of “work” i.e. each
process. Then make sure each work area, its supervisor, and the workers understand their role in
the various processes. Finally, the commander must work with those in charge of each process
to ensure they have sufficient equipment, training, and guidance to succeed.
Assuming a unit will accomplish its daily “work” without understanding how the “work”
gets done sets a commander up for a perilous fall. As examples, if an untrained person attempted
to use dangerous equipment or if a supervisor inadvertently scheduled people for shift work
exceeding the legal workday, either could lead to a peacetime mishap or wartime tragedy. In
both cases, a “broken” process creates unwarranted risks. Complicating the commander’s
efforts, most unit operations entail hundreds or more processes. Some common, but important,
processes include scheduling of assets, repairs, overhauls, basic skills training, supervisor
training, daily operations, skill evaluations, and annual personnel evaluations.
The wise commander identifies those processes vital to the unit’s mission and his people
and equipment’s safety. I suggest setting up the first week in command to learn who “owns”
processes, to understand how they are accomplished, and to identify any that need immediate
corrective action to prevent a mishap. I cannot overemphasize the importance of understanding
the “how” of a unit as early as possible. Catching and correcting broken processes early will
save countless hours and headaches dealing with “near-misses” and potential mishaps—and most
importantly, lives and assets.
Adopt a Confident, Positive Daily Attitude. I’ve heard it and seen it—the squadron
adopts the attitude and outlook of its commander. A sour grapes commander attitude in the
morning equates to a squadron-wide defeatist attitude towards accomplishing the mission or
towards customers. Measured confidence, while avoiding Alan Greenspan’s “irrational
exuberance,” signals trust in your and their ability to collectively accomplish the mission. A
welcoming smile reflects your pride and lets people know that you value them and find their
presence worthwhile. For those times when you’re having a bad day or having just suffered
through a grueling meeting, try to stay consistently positive and open to your airmen. Above all,
this levelheaded approach will signal an emotional maturity and the objectivity necessary when
the going gets tough. Practicing this self-discipline becomes an investment for the tough times
when your troops will need a levelheaded leader and commander. Ten years ago a SSgt
introduced a fellow squadron commander to the idea of PMA—Positive Mental Attitude. The
entire point was with a positive attitude you will succeed, regardless of the challenge in front of
you. He used these three letters since that day. This idea has never failed him or those who he
has shared the philosophy with. PMA, you gotta have it!
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Instill Core Values. Although core values never won a war, they are the foundation that
allows us to win wars. A unit that lives the core values of integrity first, service before self, and
excellence is likely disciplined, successful, and proud to be teammates. It is a commander’s job
to figure out how to instill these throughout the squadron. I chose to develop a phrase that was
easy to remember and yet embraced the USAF core values. It was important to me that my
supervisors and I espoused these again and again on the flight line and in the offices in a way
that complemented but didn’t replace the inherent warrior mindset already in the squadron. For
us, it became “the Bat Way…doing the Right Thing, the Right Way, the First Time, Every
Time.” Never having been a big fan of slogans, I had my doubts that adopting it would make a
difference. However, I was pleasantly surprised. With the loyalty of my key supervisors and my
championing it on every occasion, it helped change the culture of the squadron. A changed
mindset and work ethic allowed us to emerge from some troubling mistakes into a warriorminded, combat-ready, cohesive unit. This phrase captured the USAF core values in a way that
was particular to the squadron…we owned it, adopted it, embraced it, lived it, and succeeded by
it. Importantly, it also helped shore up our margin of safety in a dangerous profession. Bottom
line, by instilling and working by core values we increased our combat readiness and
effectiveness.
Lead by Example. If you set high standards—and you should—then you should live to
those standards. Your credibility—and the squadron’s discipline—will likely go out the window
the second you start applying double standards or ones that don’t appear reasonable. If you
absolutely must deviate, then you owe it to the troops to explain why to prevent misperceptions.
Like it or not, the commander is always watched, on and off duty. Think of your bosses. You
likely watch them and how they react to all kinds of situations. People want the commander to
succeed. But more importantly, they are looking to the boss for leadership and the right way to
do things. Here’s where living core values keeps a commander from looking over his shoulder.
Living core values also provides a positive example, no matter when people are watching.
Trust Your Gut—and Your People. If ever there was sage advice—and yet dangerous
advice—this is it. Trusting your first instinct or one developed after exploring the facts becomes
an important part of commanding. There are many issues and challenges. Each needs an
answer. Few have clear-cut solutions. However, a commander must make decisions. He must
lead and command in the fog of war or peace. As a starting point, the core values and a sense of
what’s right for the mission (with national/constitutional purpose first in mind) provide a guiding
principle for decision-making on tough issues. The resulting decision may not be popular.
However, command is not a popularity contest. Nevertheless, communicate tough decisions and
their rationale to those involved. If that’s done, then the commander has fulfilled his duty to
country while preserving his moral and ethical standards. I saw an operations group commander
take this approach with great effect. The complaints on tough issues dropped dramatically.
While we sometimes disagreed with a decision, we supported it. We greatly respected his effort
to let us know how and why he made decisions—and he inherently mentored us in the process.
In the end, his making tough decisions and providing rationale allowed the group to move
beyond contentious issues and focus our efforts on the mission.
Trusting your gut also applies to trusting your people. Trust is vital to teamwork and,
thus, mission accomplishment. The commander, supervisors, and coworkers must presume that
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they work in a trusting environment. Commanders generally do not “do” the technical aspect of
the mission. You lead and delegate to others who “do” the mission. You will conduct yourself
in roles such as guide, interpreter, inspirer, coach, and leader by example. Having instilled a
mission-oriented focus, the commander must trust his subordinate leadership, both officers and
NCOs to lead their respective sections of people to accomplish their portion of the mission.
There are many leaders in your squadron, and many of them wear stripes. The SNCOs
in the squadron have a combined total of hundreds of years of experience doing the mission, so
let them do their jobs. Make it clear that you are still learning, and that they have a responsibility
to teach you. That means you may want to hear the “why” along with the “what” until your
comfort level increases. Be a good devil’s advocate, ask questions, and make sure the reasoning
for a course of action is sound, but trust the experience that these leaders bring to the table. As
your comfort level grows, resist the temptation to start “running the show.” And keep in mind
that the commander is not the person who must make all the decisions. Encourage those “other
leaders” in the squadron to make decisions. Yes, empower them to be part of the solutions.
They may pick a solution that you might not have. That is fine as long as they don’t jeopardize
squadron readiness, safety or violate any laws. Trust them and they will repay that trust many
times over. The commander, after having given policy and guidance, then becomes more of a
mission monitor, ensuring people are properly trained, assets are maintained or repaired,
processes are effectively executed, and the mission ultimately accomplished.
There will be times when a process or a mission breakdown occurs. Sometimes it will be
a missed training opportunity, other times it may be a near or actual mishap. The challenge for
the commander will be to determine whether the individual(s) involved had sufficient guidance,
training, and ability to carry out the assigned tasks. If those involved did not have the ability or
if they made a mistake through gross negligence or major error, then a commander should
seriously consider removal of the involved individuals from the specific duty. In some cases,
remedial training or close supervision is appropriate. However, if the individual clearly
demonstrates an inability to either learns the correct job-related behavior(s) or maintains a
counterproductive, uncaring, or hostile attitude, then the individual should be removed from his
current responsibility. In the end, the commander must ensure that his supervisors take sufficient
effort to provide proper guidance and train, or retrain, the individual. These must come first in a
commander’s mind before attempting to formally discipline or separate the individual from the
USAF. The remaining processes of UCMJ action and separations are typically covered well in
MAJCOM commander courses. All that said, place trust in your instincts, given that they’re core
value-based. Also place trust in your people, assuming you have given them the proper guidance
and the opportunity to succeed. Finally, discipline them when they willingly violate that trust.
Ensure Mission Accomplishment. There’s a phrase we’ve all heard a thousand times at
changes of command, “if you take care of the people, they will take care of the mission.”
Although well intentioned, this phrase works well when speaking of providing people the
training and tools to do the mission. However, when it comes to priorities in decision-making,
the mission comes first—it has to. That said, the peacetime mission should not receive priority
to the point of putting people at undo risk or running droves out of the USAF. You and your
people must know precisely what skill sets they provide to the fight. Is it controlling the skies,
sortie generation, or service support? The mission must flow from the chain of command and it
must support wing and group mission statements. A wise commander also translates it into
something to which both young lieutenants and junior airmen can understand, relate, and
9
measurably contribute. Having laid out the squadron’s mission, your role then becomes
organizing, training, and equipping. That is the “how” the mission is accomplished. While very
few commanders will actually do any major reorganizing of their squadron, I have seen various
squadrons enlarge by 25 percent while some relocated and others disbanded. The meat of a
commander’s influence lies in devising programs to equip and train his personnel so that they
can expertly execute in combat or combat support. Equipping relates to budgets and
procurement of parts, tools, software, training aids, etc. Shortfalls in budget authority or critical
parts need to be upchannelled. Likewise, commanders, through their supervisors, should
anticipate external constraints to training, if possible, and upchannel them before the constraints
degrade combat readiness or capability. While highly germane to this subject, the SORTS and
ART reporting processes are beyond the scope of this paper and better left to MAJCOM
squadron commander courses. Bottom line—the USAF holds the commander responsible for
mission accomplishment. Know the mission, know how to get it done, and know your people’s
skills, limitations, and needs.
Take Care of Your People. The most important assets of your squadron, regardless of
whether you command a B-2, F-15, or other asset-intensive squadron, are your people. A unit
simply cannot accomplish its mission without the dedicated, expert, integrated efforts of its
people—and your leadership. How then does the commander “take care of his people?” I see
this notion having a number of aspects. I suggest starting in the change of command speech with
your expectations and reinforcing that message at your first commander’s call and supervisor
meeting. Tell them three things—vision, expectations, and boundaries. First, give them your
interpretation of the mission (see above). Second, articulate your expectations of them. Third,
set the “boundaries” of acceptable behaviors and methods to accomplish their portion of the
squadron mission. Communication plays a vital role in supporting your people. I separately
called in my operations officer, my squadron maintenance officer, my flight commanders, my
SNCOs, and my Chief to convey what I expected of them. I gave them the leeway to work
issues at their level and the expectation for them to work with others both in the squadron as well
as laterally outside the squadron to accomplish their part. I avoided telling them the “how” and
focused on the “what.” I explained what end results we were aiming towards. I offered to
provide tips and lessons from my experiences if they wanted them at a later date. I strived to
diligently follow-up. Another useful phrase I learned from a wing commander and lived by was
“if it’s measured, it’s accomplished.” People know that if the boss measures something, it’s
important to at least him and, in turn, it must be important to them. I interpreted this as my
responsibility to continuously follow up on taskings. This phrase worked for me when my
bosses asked how things were going, so I used it with my own people—and always strived to use
an encouraging vice threatening tone. Often, I was able to mark progress or sometimes provide
helpful pointers when people got stuck. People also told me that when I asked how they were
doing they appreciated my caring about them. Above all, a commander must give time to listen
to their people. You will be asked several times a day, “Sir, do you have a minute?” or “Ma’am,
I hate to bug you. If you want me to come back later, I will.” Do not send those people away.
Stop whatever you are doing and let them feel that they are the most important person in the
world at that moment. It is imperative that they know you have time for them. It is more
important to talk to that A1C with a minor issue (to him it’s not minor) than finishing up some
routine e-mail or paperwork.
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Beyond preparing people for success, taking care of people also means tangible efforts a
commander should make to get his people the materials, academics, resources, training, and
opportunities to grow and succeed. A wise commander sees himself supporting his troops as
well as leading them. I think of the example where the organizational structure is inverted to
reflect the commander in a supporting role under everyone else. That said, be careful not to go
overboard and let individuals set the requirements and take over the unit’s agenda. Rather, after
clearly articulating your unit’s mission and vision, lead by providing a supporting environment,
where the most junior airman knows that he plays a critical part in the success of the USAF.
Tangible support then comes in the way of effective and timely evaluations, decorations, and
awards nominations. It is clear which commanders spend the time to mentor their squadron on
evaluation and award writing. It is also clear when they have a hand in the reviewing process
and when they rubber stamp things. The commander who not only pushes his people verbally
for awards but also backs it up with a high quality nomination or award package earns his boss’
respect and admiration for pushing future leaders to the front. Other clearly visible support
includes nominations to key leadership positions, high visibility projects, and wing or higher
working groups or study teams. A subtle yet highly effective technique includes “push notes” in
evaluations and nomination packages. The five minutes spent clarifying and summarizing the
contents of an evaluation or award package can translate into 15 to 30 minutes of time saved by
his boss or his staff. That investment can easily be the tiebreaker when talented people are vying
for highly competitive awards.
The last and perhaps most important retention-related support to people is recognition.
Repeatedly, exit surveys of departing airmen highlight the absence or infrequency of commander
recognition of their people’s contributions. In some cases, had the commander thanked his folks
for their specific contribution to a hard week’s work once in awhile, the separating airman might
have made the USAF a career. It’s disappointing to think how many highly talented people have
left the service because they either weren’t given the opportunity to excel or not given the
personal recognition of their efforts. Equally important, a hollow thanks every time a
commander walks down the hall is as bad as no thanks. And of course, praise in public while
criticizing in private should almost go without saying. A sincere effort to thank people for their
specific contribution or congratulate them on their children’s achievements or their spouse’s
efforts to bring a family environment to the squadron can be all it takes to motivate a young
airman or officer to become a SNCO or future commander. However, chastise a subordinate in
public and you can count on at least a short-term retention problem in today’s all-volunteer force.
As one caution, taking care of people has one clear assumption--it does not allow any
room for a popularity contest, either for the commander or within the squadron. Taking care of
people leaves room for a commander who makes the right but unpopular calls. This develops
respect. In a similar vein, peer-voted awards connote peer respect but do not substitute for
supervisor-driven awards. Peer-voted awards can drive the culture of the squadron to that of a
popularity contest. In sum, taking care of people means many things, but should fit with
providing them the vision and tools to succeed while mentoring and publicly recognizing their
contribution. In short, we should focus on developing future air and space leaders amid a familysupportive environment.
Learn to Lead—But Don’t Do the Details of Your Mission/Trade/Business. This will
expand upon the same subject in the preparation phase. Because a command position has a
11
deliberately increased level of responsibility, it follows that you may not have previously worked
with sizable portions of your squadron. This may result in your not being knowledgeable or
conversant in key unit processes. You may be intimately familiar with the end product e.g.
training or combat sorties for operations squadrons. However, you may have little or no working
knowledge of training programs, duties, and qualifications for junior personnel. As a result, you
must depend on subordinate supervisors to know these by heart and be striving to make them as
efficient and effective as possible. However, sometimes people don’t know what they don’t
know. While you may humbly accept this axiom for yourself, you must remember that it applies
to subordinates as well. A unit’s greatest safety concern outside of combat is untrained or
inadequately trained people using inappropriate or substituted tools (hardware or software) or
processes in an attempt to accomplish the mission. Here’s where cutting corners can be fatal.
Commanders and supervisors must know when they’ve reached the stops of safe and prudent
mission activity. Cutting corners is incompatible with the “integrity” value and can easily and
catastrophically degrade unit “excellence.” All this said, it is vital that a new commander take
the time as soon as possible after taking command to conduct an immersion program into the
unit’s key process areas, focusing on education, training, and equipment utilization.
Communicate, Communicate, Communicate. I had four commander’s calls in the first
six months of my tenure and had to cancel two due to mission constraints. Prior to taking
command, I hadn’t planned on this many. However, communicating the squadron’s plan amidst
a very hectic deployment and exercise schedule and a large number of decorations made
scheduling them monthly seem intuitive. Looking back, I’m glad I made them happen. Now,
monthly commander’s calls are specified by AFI—and for good reason. If your squadron is so
large or intricate to the mission that it makes monthly commander’s calls next to impossible, then
there is another way to skin this cat; have a commander’s call each week at the flight level. For
example, the 48 Aircraft Maintenance Squadron is 844 folks strong and supports the flying
operations for three separate fighter squadrons. This unit commander has a mini-commander’s
call that rotates between the three AMUs and the squadron staff each week. The commander
gets his message to his people, decorates and recognizes them in a very timely manner, and
allows his squadron members a chance to talk to him in a smaller venue.
I cannot overemphasize the power of good communication to get everyone on board your
train, to dispel myths and rumors, and to encourage people to get to know each other on the way
towards building a sense of “us.” As tips for commander’s calls, keep the awards visible but
brief, the topics relevant and short, and the atmosphere appropriate to your leadership needs. If
coming off success, then share and show it. If preparing for an AEF deployment or MAJCOM
inspection, then a more serious tone seems more appropriate. If you’re overcoming some bad
news, then balance the tone with due reverence and provide a plan and words of optimism for
better times ahead. Beyond the message, I believe that the quantity of communicating has a
quality all its own as long as it doesn’t impinge on getting the mission done. The opposite
approach, a lack of communication will lead to uncertainty, distrust, and confusion. Worse yet,
it can lead to lowered morale or safety issues. As I heard General Charles Horner say during a
Weapons School graduation, “get out from behind the desk, talk to your people, and find out
what’s going on.”5 I would add to the last part, “and tell them what you’re thinking as well.”
Balance is the key—quantity, quality, and two-way communications. Get out of your office
5
General Charles Horner, Address, USAF Fighter Weapons School Graduation, Nellis AFB, NV, 17 August 2001.
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often, and talk up your squadron’s vision and plan. Ask, listen, and take notes. Ensure your
supervisors are doing the same. The first step to breaking down communications and
organizational barriers is making yourself available to your squadron on their turf—get out of
your office (this is easier said than done).
Lead Productive Meetings—Get Rid of or Change Unproductive Ones. General
Colin Powell, in his book My American Journey, lays out a smart way to keep meetings prompt,
productive, and on time. He suggests having an agenda, stating the desired decisions or outcome
of the meeting, and then sticking to a timeline. Period. If a sidebar is needed, then cut the
discussion short on that topic, direct a sidebar for after the meeting, and then move on. If you
need to convene a subgroup for a related topic then do that as well after the meeting. Avoid
keeping everyone hostage for hours regurgitating old news or non-critical information. Strive to
develop alternative means to get that information to the troop i.e. the First Sergeant, electronic
bulletin board, newsletters, etc. I had a significant learning curve here, but when I was able to
keep to my advice things clicked along and my key supervisors all left with a better sense of
what to do and I was more confident that they had a good grip on my guidance. For
incorporating metrics and slides in staff meetings, develop measurable yardsticks (metrics) that
are understandable by all in attendance and can relate back to mission accomplishment. If the
current measures do not, people are likely wasting their time tracking, communicating, and
presenting the data rather than in leading and doing things that matter. Because identifying
useful measures of merit is easier said than done, I’d suggest asking both peers in your specialty
and across your base what measures they use and how they link back to the squadron objectives.
Demonstrate Loyalty—in 3D. First, dedicate your loyalty to the mission and, in turn,
your superiors. Wise commanders work their boss’ agenda i.e. the wing’s mission and group
execution of that mission. As mentioned earlier, your mission and squadron objectives should
directly contribute to group and wing mission success. More specifically, pay close attention to
your boss’ priorities—and let those become your priorities. That is not sucking up; rather, it’s
wisely paying attention to what the boss thinks is important. He’s paid to do that, so working his
agenda should naturally fall within working the wing and group vision. Second, remain loyal to
your troops. You are their protectorate, their “stuff” screen, and their main channel of
information, motivation, and promotion. Third, be loyal to your peers. Undercutting or
backstabbing your peers will eventually come back to haunt or hamper your unit and ultimately
you. Balancing those loyalties commonly presents ethical challenges. As discussed earlier,
basing your decision process on core values and trusting your gut will go a long way. However,
in the end, loyalty to mission (your boss) must remain loyalty #1. Placing subordinates’ wants
over the mission results in misplaced priorities and can easily devolve into an undisciplined or
insular unit. Remember, after each decision, you have to live with the consequences and with
the people involved—superiors, peers, and subordinates. Be prepared to handle those
consequences with mission and core values upper most in mind. Commanders are not paid to be
popular; they are paid to make the right decisions for our country.
Integrating with the Group & Wing. Beyond internal leadership, your boss, bases
agencies, and sister squadrons will play important, even if momentary, roles during your tenure.
First, as mentioned above, you must understand your commanders’ intent and their vision of the
wing and group. You must also know the contingency and AEF plans that apply to your
squadron. You must develop an awareness of where and how your unit fits into the group and
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wing structure and mission accomplishment. We don’t typically develop stand-alone units—
they all contribute to a higher authority. You must also know what peacetime readiness
standards and contingency tasking is expected of you and how you’ll be graded against those
expectations. Knowing vision, intent, and grading criterion will help you map out your vision
and path for the upcoming year(s). It will also help define your part within the group and wing
as well as your boundaries, or lanes, within which to operate. As you define your squadron’s
contribution to group and wing goals, you need to learn the missions and potential contributions
of sister squadrons and group sections, and wing agencies such as the financial management and
legal offices. Your squadron will interact with these units at least daily so it is worth the
investment of time to visit their bosses and let them know who you are and that you’d like to get
to know them and their people so that when you do have to work together it won’t be as
strangers. Two key areas to focus on are the JAG and Finance. The legal experts are there to
help you make informed legal decisions in the best interest of the USAF. They are invaluable in
offering advice on your options, command climate, and recent trends. Likewise, the financial
and contracting experts can help you bridge that budgetary gap or acquire a project that the
squadron or you have been envisioning. Remember, budgeting is a graded event. It’s neither
glamorous nor easy to understand, but crucial to work new projects and to stay within legal
spending limits.
Working with your boss is a vital aspect to external workings. Beyond understanding his
vision and intent, you must strive to keep open a dialogue that allows you to forward necessary
information while promoting your best people and practices and allowing for mentoring. No
boss—including you—presumably likes a surprise. So, by whatever technique he chooses, you
must remain committed to always taking the effort to inform him of events that may affect his
group or wing. If you’re not sure whether you’re pumping too much information, he’ll let you
know when to back off—and will likely be thankful that he has a squadron commander willing to
keep him in the loop. Similarly, when you have problems that need his help, you must bite the
bullet and not let the bad news get worse. Bad news does not improve over time. Convey the
bad news, your strategy to overcome the issue at hand, and get him periodic updates. I cannot
overemphasize the benefits of being proactive in overcoming challenges. Take the time to
identify root causes, develop fixes, and implement a strategy to improve. Then, communicate
that strategy in detail to your bosses. More detail is covered below in Conquering Adversity.
On a more positive note, seek opportunities for mentoring. It’s OK to ask your boss for
his read on something you don’t understand but would like to know his perspective. Remember
that his time is valuable so choose high payoff subjects dealing with mission or people and the
answers to which don’t exist elsewhere in the group or wing. It shouldn’t surprise you that
although you’re a commander, he’s also attempting to develop your skills for the next levels of
command. So, rather than shun mentoring, seek it out and ask the uncommon and tough
questions.
Integrate with Your Peers. I would say “cooperate” but it is too limiting. A group
commander will expect and demand squadron commander commitment to the group-level
mission and objectives. It seems difficult to imagine where stovepiped squadron commitment
would be desirable or satisfactorily productive. Commanders must set aside personal
differences, egos, and ambitions to demonstrate the selflessness necessary to maximize their
unit’s contribution to the group’s goals. Reality shows that commanders will do that in varying
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degrees for a variety of reasons. The key to success lies in team building and in adopting a
selfless leadership style. An effective commander should and can propose integrative,
productive ventures or concepts that derive their success from the synergies of integration. The
risk of this approach is that the squadron may lose an opportunity to be singled out when the
team succeeds. However, I’m convinced the USAF has developed commanders who recognize
and reward integrative leadership. In the short run, volunteering the squadron for a team-based
venture may cost an annual award that’s based on some numerical calculation. That becomes a
tough call for commanders. I suggest doing the right thing for the group. Articulate your
position well to both the group commander and your troops to explain the overall gain for the
sacrifices made. My experience tells me that the reward comes in long-term senior leadership
confidence in the squadron in times of crisis and in peer support when your squadron needs it
most. I’m an optimist that believes that the good will of team-playing eventually shines over the
sacrifice.
Conquer Adversity. Overcoming adversity was both the most trying time of my
command as well as the most rewarding experience. Early in my tenure, we accumulated a Class
A, a Class B, and a Class C set of flying mishaps in less than a week. Naturally, the command
chain became concerned. To say the least, so were my squadron and I. Here’s where the
investment in self-preparation and family support, underscored by physical and spiritual
readiness, can make or break a commander. Fortunately, we did not suffer any loss of life or
limb, or loss of aircraft. However, our having quickly identified the root causes of these mishaps
and having implemented sustainable solutions became a hallmark of the squadron’s ability to
adapt to adversity. The character of the squadron’s young men and women became evident as
they marshaled their talents to help earn “outstanding” ratings on a later MAJCOM readiness
inspection. As I told them at one point, “we can either fold up and walk away from our situation
or we can face up to the fact that we have a lot of things to fix. We also now have the
opportunity, as we fix things, to focus on becoming an outstanding squadron. The choice is ours
and ours alone.” Only by drawing upon a clear purpose of mission, by adhering to core values
and safety principles, and by refusing to let self-doubt become evident to my people, did I
manage to get through those trying times. I clearly saw, during that time, the loneliness of
command. My superiors looked to me to fix things, as did my subordinates. Anyone else’s
taking charge would have signaled my failure to lead. I was not about to let that happen to the
best of my ability. You might ask if I had self-doubts? Yes. Did I wonder if during meetings
with superiors and subordinates if they were looking at me differently? Of course. Inside, I
knew that I couldn’t give up. I knew it wouldn’t be easy. I realized it would require our team
and some time. And it worked. Fortunately, I had lots of help from above and from my family
(see the “Prepare Your Family” section above).
A commander is not an island unto himself. To avoid overburdening your spouse with
work-related issues, you can turn to other avenues to vent, sound out ideas, or ask for help.
There’s no foul in trying out some ideas with your group commander, after having thought out a
thorough gameplan. In mishaps and serious personnel actions, your commander can be a well of
wisdom and ideas. Don’t ask what to do or how, but rather lay out your background, options,
and rationale for your most likely course of action. Then, he can help you “what if” your
decision-making and help ensure no stone is left unturned. When your boss may have a conflict
of interest, consider consulting with peers across the USAF or in your own group or in sister
wings in your MAJCOM. Finally, the chaplains are a perfect resource to talk out your innermost
15
concerns and provide a third party perspective. They will help you reattach your recovery plan
to core values & morale grounding. In hindsight, I wish I had put more thought into how I
would deal with adversity. I had thought through how I might come to grips with an aircraft loss
or ground mishap with loss of life. However, I had not thought about the middle ground where a
string of mishaps threatened the enduring morale and fighting spirit of the unit. I suggest that
aspiring commanders do that thinking now. I also recommend seeking out others who ran into
adversity and see how they handled it. Others’ experience and lessons are invaluable data points
to build upon, should you ever need them. Specifically, your fellow squadron commanders
provide the nearest pool of experience for assistance. They can give you some valid options
since they understand the wing’s leadership, the current world situation, and have current
command experience.
Sustainment
Maintain Stamina and Focus. After several months at the controls, a commander will
likely have a better feel for how the squadron is accomplishing the mission, whether the unit is
reaching their objectives, and whether they have identified and begun addressing problems. At
this point, it’s important for a commander to deepen his understanding of the squadron. He
should learn more about his people and their aspirations, about the mission and its potential
effects on wing or campaign objectives, about equipment, infrastructure, and limitations.
Additionally, the commander must maintain a sustainable physical and emotional stamina to
keep the above efforts in line with mission accomplishment and to stay poised for the
unexpected, whether crisis reaction, mishap response, or award notification. It’s also important
to keep the squadron, both people and assets, in a sustainable state. Running the squadron at 100
percent over several months will not leave much emotional or physical reserve for the
unannounced inspection or no-notice tasking. Additionally, key indicators will likely begin to
foretell of unit problems. These might include alcohol-related incidents, domestic disturbances,
divorces or separations, minor safety oversights, or mishaps. Gaining intelligence to see a trend
is tricky. The unit First Sergeant or a unit-affiliated chaplain can typically provide excellent
insight to the health of the squadron as well as a read on how the commander is coming across!
Keep the Mission Fresh while Praising Accomplishments. While it may be difficult
for a highly deployed unit to become complacent at its mission, elements of every unit can
become complacent at their “work” through routine processes and actions that rarely garner
attention. Commanders can keep their unit focused and rejuvenated by developing intra-unit or
work area competitions and awards. Additionally, working overtime to get incentive flights or
other group or wing-level recognition for job excellence can be a key motivator for a squadron.
As mentioned above, unit commander calls can make excellent forums to get out pertinent
information, but they should also serve as a primary forum to publicly honor those awarded
medals and citations, those who have earned public distinction for on or off-duty efforts, and to
thank work centers or the unit for recent extraordinary efforts. Lastly, one effective technique is
to broaden unit personnel’s perspective. Specifically, transforming a squadron family day into a
shared family/career day can expose the entire squadron to efforts of others. We organized our
career day so that everyone could visit all major work areas. This also provided opportunities for
several individuals to practice their public speaking skills by explaining to both spouses and
fellow workers how they and their section contributed to the unit’s success. The exposure to
16
additional perspectives added to individual’s understanding of their part in the mission and
helped them to better appreciate less visible sections of the squadron.
Innovate, Integrate, and Deliver Impact. Assuming a commander has been attempting
to make a positive impact since the change of command, here’s where he can move beyond unitlevel impact up to group level and beyond. Having developed a keen sense of how the squadron
ticks and how to keep it on track, a highly effective commander can then move into a broader
arena to make an indelible impact wherever the unit trains and executes. Learning the wing and
group mission goals and objectives provides a starting point to develop the unit’s potential to a
maximum. The commander should develop a squadron vision that supports working in concert
with sister squadrons and across the wing to develop innovative programs, to streamline
processes, and to add combat capability. In our example, we had the opportunity to train and
exercise with our host nation air force in a combined setting off-station. However, we were
situated close enough to our home base to incorporate the non-deployed wing assets into a newly
developed, integrated counterair capability utilizing F-15s, KC-135s, RC-135s, E-3s, and host
nation Patriot surface-to-air missile systems. Combining with numbered air force air operations
planning and our wing’s ground-based tactical air control system, our squadron and thus the
wing demonstrated a more comprehensive and effective capability to defend the host nation.
This new way of doing air operations directly impacted the United States’ ability to support an
ally. Beyond this impact, peacetime innovations such as this also provide short-term unit
motivation and become testament to the unit’s and its personnel’s success. Ultimately, a
squadron’s legacy draws from its success in crisis or in combat. However, in the absence of
either of these situations, a squadron’s legacy will draw from its ability to deter by virtue of its
increased combat readiness, an enhanced combat capability, or its contribution to alliance or
coalition strength. In the end, innovate and integrate in order to deliver effective impact.
Relinquishment/Transition
Prepare Your Squadron. I’ve often heard the saying that if your squadron can’t
function without you for two weeks, then you’ve got problems. I know a few ways to shoot
holes through that axiom but it’s a very good aimpoint. Keeping this in mind as you prepare for
the outgoing change of command will help make for a smooth transition and help your successor
get a chance to know the squadron before having to make a series of key decisions. Beyond the
immediacy of planning for the change of command, you should set timetables for completing
OPRs, EPRs, and awards. Stick to getting them done before the change of command. Just when
you thought you could do that stack of OPRs just after the change of command is when you are
told to become the acting group commander or act as a safety board member due to some
combination of crises. It happens. Additionally, prepare for and talk to personnel who fall into
upcoming assignment cycles. They will understandably be nervous about their plight with a new
commander. In my case, I told them where they stood with me and that I would convey those
very words to my successor, but I stopped short of making any promises. As far as I know,
most, if not all, of my inputs were honored and assignments flowed as people had hoped.
Another critical area is disciplinary cases. Strive to close or advance cases as far as practical
before you leave the squadron. Of course, you can count on someone getting in trouble the week
before you leave. In that case, do what you can, jot down the context and what your thoughts
and actions have been thus far, and then brief those to your successor. In the end, tie up loose
ends, put the squadron on a self-sustaining course, and ready the people for a new boss.
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Prepare Your Successor. “The good, the bad, and the ugly” concept referred to above
applies here as well. A successor will find out all of these sooner or later. Therefore, show the
incoming boss all of them early so that he at least has a chance to pick your brain either before
change of command or before you leave the base. Invite the new commander to discreetly visit
the squadron. Have him visit either very early or late in the day so you can show him around
with minimal interruptions. Introduce your successor to the squadron’s key leadership. Later,
back at the office, add some context to the people he met such as their job specifics, their career
aspirations, and your assessments of their work and potential. I took my successor to each of the
work areas for several reasons. I explained the work done in each area and we met some of the
squadron personnel. I also wanted the people in the work centers to see a cordial, smooth
transition in progress. This went far in keeping unit personnel focused on the mission. Beyond
the bragging points, you need to show the problem areas, too. Give the incoming commander an
honest appraisal of potential problems, possible root causes, and what’s currently being done to
remedy whatever’s wrong. Finally, for the change of command, it’s the little things that count.
Ensure the squadron marquis, interior signs, desk labels, etc., are ready for immediate change to
the new commander’s name, whether during or upon completion of the change of command. As
a last nice touch, get the new squadron commander’s name on the wing electronic marquis. You
never know, maybe they’ll return the favor as you leave the base.
Exit Quietly. Exiting commanders should discreetly depart the change of command
location and only involve themselves in unit matters when follow-up, if any, is required.
Likewise, once departed, former commanders should stay departed. As you hopefully enjoyed
during your first days of command, let the new commander completely take charge. Avoid the
selfish tendency to check up on the squadron by bugging the new commander or old cronies left
behind. Avoid undermining your successor’s credibility (and your own professionalism) by
contributing to rumors of or actual unwarranted ex-commander follow-up.
Conclusion
The art of command demands dutiful preparation and determined execution. This article
was intended to convey the message that command has several key phases to include
preparation, transition, execution, sustainment, and termination/transition. These phases can
help aspiring commanders better approach and prepare for the challenges of squadron command.
In expanding those five areas, the paper attempted to demonstrate the most prescient concepts in
creating the most optimum conditions for success. Of course, the art of command is multidimensional. A great degree of success lies in commander personality and is situationally
dependent. The topics discussed above only scratch the surface of issues commanders
experience on a daily basis. However, my hope is that they bridge the gap between leadership
academics and official policy by providing the perspective of one who’s gone before. I believe
that in this profession experience matters most in learning about leadership. In turn, I believe
effective leadership can accomplish almost anything. Nevertheless, the aspiring commander can
start with this introductory primer as a framework. On it he should add pre-command
experience, insights from additional sources, and lessons during command. Winning our nations
wars depends on commanders who demonstrate highly effective leadership. The strategy offered
above attempts to build those young commanders and the degree of success our nation demands
and expects. On a final note, let me offer that among the world’s professions, commanding men
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and women in the lethal crucible of battle presents the most challenging, humbling, and
rewarding experience a human being will encounter. I hope these thoughts help you and your
successors in that endeavor.
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Suggested Framework for Squadron Command
Preparation
Develop a Commander Mindset
Build a Command Framework—Organize Your Observations, Beliefs, & Thoughts
Get Physically, Mentally, Emotionally, & Spiritually Ready
Prepare Your Family and Home Life
Transition
First Impressions
Strive for a Smooth Transition
Planning/Surviving the Change of Command
Execution
Setting the Tone
Listen, Understand, Plan, then Change
Become a Tactical Strategist—Learn Unit Mission, Strategy/Practices, Assets
Adopt a Confident, Positive Daily Attitude
Instill Core Values
Lead by Example
Trust Your Gut…and Your People
Ensure Mission Accomplishment
Take Care of Your People
Learn to Lead—But Don’t Do the Details of Your Mission/Trade/Business
Communicate, Communicate, Communicate
Lead Productive Meetings—Get Rid of or Change Unproductive Ones
Demonstrate Loyalty—in 3D
Integrating with the Group & Wing
Integrate with Your Peers
Conquer Adversity
Sustainment
Maintain Stamina and Focus
Keep the Mission Fresh while Praising Accomplishments
Innovate, Integrate, and Deliver Impact
Relinquishment/Transition
Prepare Your Squadron
Prepare Your Successor
Exit Quietly and Gracefully
Table 1. Suggested Framework for Squadron Command. Source: Author
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Suggested Reading List
Air Force Instruction 21-101. Aerospace Equipment Maintenance Management, 1 October 2002.
On-line. Internet, 23 March 2003. Available from http://www.epublishing.af.mil/pubfiles/af/21/afi21-101/afi21-101.pdf
Air Force Judge Advocate School. The Military Commander and the Law, Fifth Edition.
Maxwell AFB, AL: Air Force Judge Advocate General School, 2001 .
Ambrose, Stephen E. Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson, and the
Opening of the American West. Touchstone Books, 1997.
AU-2. Guidelines for Command. Maxwell AFB, AL: Air University Press, May 1995.
AU-24. Concepts for Air Force Leadership. Maxwell AFB, AL: Air University Press, 2001.
Boyne, Walter J. Beyond the Wild Blue: A History of the U.S. Air Force 1947-1997. New York:
St Martin’s Press, 1997.
Cohen, William A. The New Art of the Leader. Paramus, NJ: Prentice Hall Press, 2000.
Goldfein, Col David L. Sharing Success—Owning Failure: Preparing to Command in the 21st
Century. Maxwell AFB, AL: Air University Press, April 2001. On-line. Internet. 31 October
2001. Available from http://www.au.af.mil/au/database/projects/ay2001/affp/goldfein.pdf
Hayashi, Alden M. “When to Trust Your Gut.” Harvard Business Review 79, no 2: February
2001, pp. 59-65.
Puryear, Edgar F., Jr. American Generalship. Novato, CA: Presidio Press, 2000.
Smith, Perry M. Rules and Tools for Leaders. New York: Avery, 1998.
____________. Taking Charge: A Practical Guide for Leaders. Washington, DC: National
Defense University Press, 1986.
Timmons. Col Timothy T. Commanding an Air Force Squadron. Maxwell AFB, AL: Air
University Press, December 1993.
United States Air Force. United States Air Force Core Values. Washington, DC: Government
Printing Office, 1 January 1997.
Zentner. Lt Col John J. The Art of Wing Leadership and Aircrew Morale in Combat. Maxwell
AFB, AL: Air University Press, June 2001.
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