Kubinec: 'This is a huge honor'

  • Published
  • By Danny Monahan
  • 377th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
KIRTLAND AFB --  Since taking command in December, the 377th Air Base Wing commander has had a few weeks to get acclimated to his new role.

In that time, Col. John Kubinec has developed several priorities for the wing. Continuing to strengthen the nuclear enterprise, ensuring Airmen and wing readiness and world-class customer service are at the top of his priorities.

"First and foremost, we have to continue job number one - strengthening our nuclear enterprise," said Kubinec. "Second, we have to train and develop combat-ready Airmen to deploy to fight our nation's wars when called upon, and ensure our wing is able to support others in their deployments. Third, we need to develop world-class customer service in all things that we do. We enable the success of many mission partners on Kirtland. If they are not successful, the 377 ABW is not successful. We have to link our success to their success."

A wing commander's job is an enormous charge, said Kubinec, and he is aware of the magnitude of responsibility.

"Every hour I have been in command has confirmed that this is a huge job," said Kubinec. "The Air Force does a great job training people and giving its members the experiences they need to succeed, and I feel the Air Force has done that with me. My background in munitions maintenance will serve me well, but there are a lot of other areas I am not familiar with and I need to get 'smart' on them."

Kubinec said the influence from senior NCOs and chief master sergeants has helped him prepare for his job. One of his first orders of business was to meet with 377 ABW chief master sergeants.

"We talked about how much I respect the chief master sergeant rank and how important chiefs have been in my career and my development," said Kubinec. "From the time I was a cadet to the time I was a group commander, there has not been a chief who was afraid to teach me or give me a kick in the pants when I needed it. I ask our chiefs to continue that and I know they will. The mentoring I have received from my bosses and senior NCOs in the past has shaped me to be able to take command of a wing."

He said his maintenance background has helped him understand the importance of compliance, an area he said the wing needs to focus on.

"I come from a maintenance background, and we do things as the technical orders say," said Kubinec. "As a wing, we will be in compliance with whatever our direction and guidance is, whether it's Air Force Instructions, technical data or flight manuals. This is non-negotiable. There is no room for non-compliance."

In his first 90 days, he said he wants to get out into the organizations to learn, listen and inventory the processes, and see where they can benefit from continuous process improvement (CPI).

"I think CPI has gotten a bad reputation in the Air Force," he said. "This is really about making processes better and making things better for the people who come after us. This is not a case of the wing not doing well -- we are doing very well, but if you are not trying to get better, you will stagnate. We can't afford that."

Kubinec said he looks forward to his new challenge and is honored to be the 377 ABW wing commander.

"I will strive to lead this wing by using my head, but also my heart," said Kubinec. "Leadership is about leading people. It's an emotional and passionate endeavor, and I will try to do so with humility. It's never about the wing commander; it's about the military, civilians and contractors in this wing, and the job they have to do. I will do my best to lead as a servant leader."