Good Airmen are pros at dealing with change

  • Published
  • By Col. Ellie Nix
  • 514th Mission Support Group commander
JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. --  In my 30-plus years of Air Force service, I've been involved in base realignment and closure, commonly known as BRAC, on many different levels.
While assigned to 15th Air Force at March Air Force Base in the 80's, I conducted site surveys at multiple locations that were closed in the 1967 BRAC, including Roswell, N.M., and Moses Lake, Wash.

As we toured the facilities, it appeared to me as if they had simply turned off the lights, locked the doors and walked away. Many facilities still had magazines scattered about, trays in the cafeteria and crewmember names on the scheduling board.

In 1991, I was at Griffiss AFB, N.Y., when its closure was announced on the heels of the grand opening of a new $8.5 million consolidated club. After joining the 914th Airlift Wing at Niagara Air Reserve Station, we were put on the early nineties BRAC list, only to be removed at the last minute.

I then became Niagara's BRAC trusted agent for the 2005 BRAC process, before arriving at the 913th AW at Willow Grove ARS, Pa., in March 2006. My experiences with the Airmen of Willow Grove impressed me greatly as they went through the processes which shut down the wing in 2007.

I encountered a vast array of emotional reactions from unit members. While it was clear that many were disappointed with the decision to close, I was tremendously impressed with the professional approach most everyone had adopted toward the closure.
From these experiences I wish to make two points.

First, five years later, I'm still amazed at how professionally both the Airman from the Grove and McGuire handled their respective roles. Both are to be commended for the almost seamless absorption of over 150 Airmen who transferred from the 913th AW to the Freedom Wing.

Second, I recently returned from the 22nd Air Force Senior Leadership Conference at Dobbins AFB, Ga. During the conference's closing ceremony, I had the pleasure of standing alongside Col. Jonathan Spare, 514th Air Mobility Wing vice commander, and the other Freedom Wing attendees to receive a framed presentation acknowledging the transfer of the 514th AMW and three other wings from the 22nd Air Force to the 4th Air Force, effective Oct. 1.

Change is one of life's constants. The key is how you choose to deal with it. Like the Airmen of Willow Grove, I'm 100-percent convinced that Freedom Wing Airmen will handle the change with class and professionalism, and I'm thrilled to be here with you as we move forward.