MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. -- On Tuesday, August 1, 2023, Col. Cory Damon, the newest commander of the 22nd Air Refueling Wing at McConnell Air Force Base, hosted three all-calls alongside 22nd ARW Command Chief Laura Hoover.
The briefings served as an opportunity for top leadership to engage with, share priorities, and continue open communication between base personnel.
During the all-calls, Damon emphasized the importance of cultivating a winning culture through heritage, trust, and innovation. He recognized Team McConnell’s historic excellence, the trust amongst the team to achieve past goals, and the innovative ideas needed to advance the mission and lives of Team McConnell.
He stated, "We're a winning culture, and we're going to have a language of winning, the language of champions. Everyone fits into the mission, and each Airman has a part to play."
One of the key topics discussed was Exercise Mobility Guardian 2023 (MG 23).
"This undertaking of Mobility Guardian was just massive," Damon said. "I'll tell you that the KC-46 Pegasus employment in that theater excites Air Mobility Command more than any other weapons system. What we can do with the KC- 46, what we continue to do with the KC-135, is just impressive.”
Another notable speaker during the all-calls was Maj. Sean King, who served as the detachment commander for MG 23. He shared insights on shaping the future based on the lessons learned from the recent operation. King expressed gratitude to all agencies involved in their successful deployment and emphasized the importance of rapid global mobility for the joint force and their allies. Despite encountering challenges in operational communications and maintaining OPSEC on social media, King found the experience rewarding, and imperative for improving processes and relationships with partners.
Additionally, Staff Sgt. Andrea Ostroski and Airman First Class Marisa Flux, both intelligence analysts for the 22nd Operations Support Squadron, delivered a briefing on information warfare, focusing on continuing to remain information-aware in the digital age. They encouraged the audience to adjust privacy settings, limit social media usage and be personally accountable for safeguarding one’s own information.
“Information domain is the battle space that we are all fighting in,” said Hoover. “I challenge you to question things, stay curious in that area, and don’t take everything for face value. I ask all of you to be participants and be engaged in that space.”
The all-calls also covered the Innovation Lab's projects, including the successful build and deployment of "Project Strangelove." This fully solar powered communication device was created by Airmen to meet the agile combat employment needs of the Mobile Support Team in a fast-paced offensive environment.
The project demonstrated its effectiveness during Lethal Pride, operating solely on renewable power for five days. Moreover, the Fuel/Water Separator designed and built by Senior Airman Trevor Mann, 22nd Logistic Readiness Squadron fuel equipment maintenance technician, showed promising results in saving fuel costs and reducing environmental impacts both at a local and high echelon.
Damon's all-calls provided a platform for crucial discussions and insights into McConnell Air Force Base's future goals and missions. The engagement with top leadership provided another avenue for base personnel to voice their concerns, celebrate accomplishments and continue a sense of unity in pursuing the base's vision for continued excellence.