Tyndall welcomes new vice wing commander

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Rachelle Elsea
  • 325th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  With his third tour to the area underway, Col. David Graff, 325th Fighter Wing vice commander, is nothing less than ecstatic to be back in Bay County.

Tyndall has special memories for the Graff family, as, "Three of our four children were born here at Tyndall," said Colonel Graff. "How much more special can a place be?"

The son of a U.S. Air Force Academy graduate, Colonel Graff was born in Falls Church, Va. However, he spent much of his younger years traveling, until his family finally settled in Fort Collins, Colo.

"My dad was a T-38 instructor pilot for about five years," he said. "Then he flew for United Airlines as a commercial pilot.

"I remember him telling us his training war stories and they just stuck with me," Colonel Graff said. "I decided around the seventh grade that I wanted to go to the Academy and fly."

Speaking about his time there he said, "The Academy is a great place to be from. It was a great experience and I made a lot of incredible friends that I still have."

About halfway through his Academy years, Colonel Graff began dating his wife, Jamee.

After getting married and graduating in 1993, he and his new bride began their Air Force career. Colonel Graff's first assignment to Tyndall came in 1995 as a student in the F-15 Eagle program. He returned to the 325th FW in 1998 as an instructor pilot with the 2nd Fighter Squadron and later served as a weapons officer with the 95th FS.

However, he quickly points out that serving at the wing level is a new experience for him.

"Most of my time has been at the squadron and group levels and is more operational," said Colonel Graff. "I've done some time working for the Secretary of the Air Force where my eyes were opened to a lot of the other specialties and expertise in the Air Force. But to be a vice wing commander is a big deal, a big challenge. While I'm honored to have the opportunity, I also know I have a lot to learn and I have to do it quickly."

Elaborating on his new duties, he added, "The wing commander has clearly given me his goals for the wing; the transfer to Air Combat Command, the beddown of the operational F-22 squadron and supporting our Airmen as best we can. My role is to be his wingman and to help him achieve these goals."

When asked for his secrets to success, he said they are simple:

"Do your best at everything you do," he said.

He encourages Airmen to be adaptable and grow from their experiences.

"Take care of the people around you and be receptive to change," Colonel Graff said. "Our service is based on a family culture, where change is constant and everyone should feel cared about. Don't walk by a problem without trying to fix it. The more people we can get doing that, the better.

"We have an incredibly important job facing us in the months ahead and not everyone is going to be personally thanked by the commander for their efforts. So, as the vice commander, I must do my best to ensure everyone knows how much wing leadership appreciates their service and how important they are to the wing's success."