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9th Air Force commander visits Tyndall

  • Published
  • 325th Fighter Wing
TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla --  The new commander for 9th Air Force visited Hurlburt Field's 823d RED HORSE Squadron and Tyndall's 325th Fighter Wing to better understand the units' organization and challenges.
Major Gen. H.D. Polumbo, Jr. visited the units Aug. 5-8 and toured various facilities on both bases.

"I would like to extend a sincere thank you to the men and women of the wing for a successful visit," Polumbo expressed. "As the new 9th Air Force commander, I've visited almost all of the bases in the command, and I appreciate the hospitality and open dialogue from supervisors and commanders on Tyndall and Hurlburt."

During the general's visit to Tyndall, he toured the Academic Simulation Building, Detachment 1 of the 823d RED HORSE Squadron, the 43rd Fighter Squadron and the 43rd Aircraft Maintenance Unit.

The 43d Fighter Squadron is responsible for providing air dominance training for F-22 Raptor pilots. The 43d FS was the first squadron to receive the F-22 and will continue to serve as the primary training location for all F-22 pilots.

"The F-22 and the 325th Fighter Wing are critical to the air dominance the United States Air Force provides the nation and our combatant commanders," Polumbo explained. "This wing and the Airmen that live on this base are critical to national defense."

The 325th FW is in the process of adjusting its education and training mindset with the stand-up of a new combat-coded fighter squadron.

The squadron is expected to receive its fleet of F-22s from Holloman Air Force Base, N.M., in the upcoming months.

"The Holloman to Tyndall move is an important step that will give the 325th Fighter Wing the synergy it needs to optimize training for F-22 operators and maintainers," the general said. "Ultimately, we'll train Raptor pilots and maintainers and some of them will likely stay here at Tyndall and move into the combat-coded squadron. From the new fighter squadron they would then be ready to deploy to a combat zone. Tyndall's role in air dominance will become even more critical."

Tyndall's community partners recently held an informational session at Holloman about Bay County school systems, housing, recreational activities, and local benefits for military members. Approximately 200 Airmen and their families who are expecting a permanent change of station to Tyndall attended the event.

"I believe their unique, hands-on way of greeting their new teammates is really impressive," Polumbo said. "I would offer this - that the most important thing about the Airmen and families coming to Bay County is the need to take care of the families. Family needs will be the most important part of the next step as they transition here, and it's important that the Tyndall community makes the new Airmen and their family members feel comfortable and welcome."

He also had advice for the Airmen about how to transition from New Mexico to the Florida Panhandle.

"I'd ask them to be very good neighbors like they were in New Mexico," the general added. "Tyndall has been a part of Bay County's communities for a very long time and they have great community relations so it's important to be good stewards of your neighborhoods and schools as our Airmen here already do."

"As for the commanders at Tyndall, they will have to continue to tell the Tyndall story to community leaders in a way that allows them to explain evolving missions the wing will soon have, especially, as it develops its deployment combat capability and achieves initial operational capability," he explained

Polumbo stressed the importance of leadership, not only with the stress of change and the wing's transition, but with difficult challenges the Defense Department and its people are facing.

"The way we will get through these turbulent times in our Air Force is with strong supervision and leadership shown by front-line supervisors," the general said. "I emphasized this to company-grade officers and also staff and technical sergeants, who I think are the key leaders who must show strong supervision day and night."