COMACC comes to Tyndall

Published Feb. 5, 2015
By Senior Airman Alex Echols
325th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- U.S. Air Force Gen. Hawk Carlisle, commander of Air Combat Command, visited here Feb. 2-4 to see the mission and hear Airmen's concerns firsthand and provide insight on sexual assaults, budgets, leadership and deployments from the COMACC perspective.

"We are the smallest Air Force we have been since we became a separate service," said Carlisle. "But we are the best we have ever been because of the Airmen that are doing the mission every day."

Carlisle held an all-call Feb. 3 to address the men and women of Team Tyndall. He focused on prioritizing tasks and innovating with limited resources in the coming years.

"We need your help in those two big areas," said Carlisle. "We have more mission requirements today than we have money, manpower or time."

While the General spoke about some of the key issues facing the force, including sexual assaults, budgets, leadership and deployments he explained his priority was thanking Airmen.

"I can't thank you enough for being great Airmen, for being great Americans, for stepping up, for being part of something that is bigger than you and for taking care of one another," said Carlisle.

More than 400 Team Tyndall members attended the general's all-call with many hoping to learn from his 40 years of Air Force service. Senior Airman Brandi Reardon, 325th Force Support Squadron customer support technician, was among those in attendance.

"I think that it's great that he made time to come out to Tyndall to reassure us all that even through the hard times, our leaders are still here for us and they recognize our hard work," said Reardon.

During the visit, Carlisle toured the base, including the 325th Logistics Readiness Squadron, the 43rd Fighter Squadron, the 325th Maintenance Squadron, the 325th Training Support Squadron, the 325th Weapons Evaluation Group and the 1st Air Force to meet the people that make Tyndall's mission happen every day.

"Our asymmetric advantage, our ability to defeat any adversary, anywhere, anytime throughout history and into the future is because we have you," said Carlisle. "You are the reason we are successful. You're the reason we can take down anybody. You are the reason that we are the greatest fighting force the world has ever known."

At the conclusion of his all-call, the general spoke about the future of the Air Force and its greatest need.

"Stay with us," said Carlisle. "With what we have facing us in the coming years, the demand on our force, our ability to meet today's commitment and our ability to prepare the Air Force for the future, we need you now more than ever. So stay with us. Be a part of the incredible organization. You do something that matters and you get to do it with the greatest people our nation has to offer. I am honored to be in your Air Force with you, and I can't tell you how much it means to me to be part of your organization."