Commander’s Corner: DVs visit; 101 days of summer kicks off

  • Published
  • By Col. Robert E. Suminsby Jr.
  • 377th Air Base Wing Commander
Whew! To say it's been a very busy week for Team Kirtland would be a huge understatement!

Over the past seven days, Kirtland opened its gates to many distinguished visitors. Congresswoman Madeleine Bordallo of Guam honored us as the guest speaker for the Asian Pacific American Heritage banquet last Friday, while Lt. Gen. Dave Deptula, deputy chief of staff for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance spoke at the Airborne Laser Program Office Dining In.

On Monday, Dr. Ron Sega, Department of Defense executive for space and undersecretary of the Air Force; Gen. Kevin Chilton, commander of Air Force Space Command, and Lt. Gen. Robert Kehler, deputy commander of U.S. Strategic Command, together with Congressman Silvestre Reyes of Texas and Congresswoman Heather Wilson of New Mexico, all attended the formal activation ceremony for the new joint Operationally Responsive Space Office. The new director, Col. Kevin McLaughlin, also wears the hat of commander of the Space Development and Test Wing. We wish him all the best in the office's mission of improving the responsiveness and effectiveness of space capabilities. He brings a great team of talented people to the task.

And last but not least, South Dakota Senator J.P. Duniphan and members of the DOD Advisory Committee on Women in the Services or DACOWITS paid a visit to Team Kirtland to gather information on issues of concern to women in the military.

I can't tell you how pleased I was with the high caliber of work and professionalism displayed by everyone involved in making these events successful. The support our visitors received was top notch and really showcased the dedicated professionals who work here. It's no wonder why so many DVs make it a point to visit Kirtland and our great team of people.

If you read last week's Nucleus, then you're also aware that the "101 Critical Days of Summer" safety campaign has officially kicked off. This means that over the next few months, every member of Team Kirtland needs to keep safety in the forefront of their minds.

I know it seems like we've heard these safety briefings time and again, but there's a reason why these messages are continually reinforced. Remember, there are always a lot of new people each year. If you are one of the "old heads," make it a point to mentor the "new kids on the block" and help them to make safety part of their everyday planning. If you are already doing that, good for you. You are helping to preserve the Air Force's most important resource!

So far, our safety efforts this year have been very successful, but we need to ensure we can see this success through to the end of the summer. To do this, I expect supervisors at all levels to continually engage their Airmen and ensure we are promoting proper risk management in everything we do. I also encourage each of you to be a good Wingman to your fellow Airmen - if you see a dangerous situation developing, on or off the job, call a "knock it off."

I hope that every single one of you has plans to enjoy your summer to the fullest, but above all, be smart and stay safe.