DOBBINS AIR RESERVE BASE, Ga. -- The 22nd Air Force commander and command chief visited units here, Jan. 7.
U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Bret Larson, 22nd Air Force commander, and Chief Master Sgt. Chin Cox, 22nd Air Force command chief, toured to meet with Airmen, learn about the mission and capabilities, and gain insight of the Reserve’s multi-capable Airmen.
Multiple units were included on the itinerary during the team's visit.
The 94th Maintenance Group, 700th Airlift Squadron, Base Honor Guard, Development and Training Flight, Dobbins Fire Emergency Services, 94th Explosive Ordnance Disposal Flight and the 94th Aeromedical Staging Squadron, were part of the units visited by the team.
Connecting with some of the younger Airmen was imperative to Larson and Cox, where Larson shared highlights of his 35-year career.
“I think humility goes a long way. You can tell good leaders from the bad in that perspective,” he said. “The biggest takeaway in my career is I’m not better than you.”
Larson and Cox discussed the importance of leaders and supervisors getting to know their people and emphasized the need for continuous communication among all ranks.
“We need to be leaders who are emotionally intelligent, who care about developing Airmen, and who continuously think [of] how to make themselves and others the best person they can be.” Cox said. “Enlisted members make up roughly 80% of the Air Force.”
Also, during the visit Larson and Cox learned about some of the best practices, continuous process improvement and superior Airmen who help Team Dobbins succeed. One such best-practice is the 94th AW’s D&TF, which is an Air Force Guard- and Reserve-specific program that prepares enlistees for basic training.
“My job is to make sure you have the training, motivation and the tools to do your job,” Larson said. “We exist to defend this nation, whatever brought you to the Air Force, thank you for signing up.”