New commander emphasizes readiness, connecting with Airmen Published Oct. 6, 2015 By Shawn J. Jones 514th Air Mobility Wing public affairs JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. -- A month into his position as the new commander of the 514th Air Mobility Wing, Col. David Pavey reflected on his initial impressions of the wing and talked about the way ahead. His previous position as the director of staff for the 4th Air Force provided a snapshot of the wing's performance, which was very good in most cases, but he's since learned the wing looks even better in person than it does on a report card. "I was blown away by the sheer volume of things that are done by this wing on a daily basis and the passion that our Airmen bring to doing the job every day," he said. "For a wing this big, it's really quite impressive." Since the wing is functioning so effectively, Pavey is encouraging his Airmen to keep it up, and he'll help to move the obstacles they encounter. "Everyone is doing such a great job here, so I don't foresee a lot of changes in day-to-day processes," he said, adding that as he becomes more familiar with the wing's people and processes, he's sure to find areas for improvement. To gain that familiarity, Pavey plans to push away from his desk and get out among his Airmen. He said that while the administrative tasks involved in his position are important, "having the personal contact with Airmen who are working throughout this wing is easily more important to me." He hopes leaders and supervisors will do the same thing, because it contributes to one of Pavey's other points of emphasis--readiness. He said establishing and maintaining personal connections with fellow Airmen leads to a more complete understanding of readiness. Pavey said Reserve readiness has become increasingly important over the years, especially with the active-duty Air Force shrinking. Every Airman, he said, must work toward a high state of personnel readiness and training. "Readiness is about personal accountability in getting your stuff done," Pavey said. "It might seem tedious, but the Air Force exists to wage and win America's wars, and I just want to see that our Airmen are the best prepared to do that." Pavey added that balance is part of readiness. He said he sees a lot of hard chargers in the wing, which he appreciates, but he wants them to understand that hard work is important, but not if it means they are neglecting themselves. He said it's important for Airmen to take time to stay healthy, spend time with family and maintain their own personal well-being, in addition to looking out for their fellow Airmen. The commander also addressed the rumblings about the KC-10 Extender being retired. The KC-10 is still the premier tanker in the world, although there are few of them, he said. This leaves the Air Force with some difficult decisions on how long they want to maintain a relatively small fleet of aircraft, no matter how capable they are. "Regardless of which airframe is here, I feel confident the comprehensive air mobility role in this wing will stay intact," he said.