Dyess wing commander prepares to depart; humbled by experience of leading great team

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. A.C. Eggman
  • 7th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
DYESS AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  After two years serving as the 7th Bomb Wing commander, Col. Timothy Ray prepares to bid farewell July 11 to the nearly 5,000 people he has commanded.

The B-1, B-52 and T-38 pilot feels privileged to have led such a great and diverse team during his tenure, he said.

"It is humbling to see civilians, active duty, guard and Reserve - all the members of the team -- work so hard to do what they do every day," Colonel Ray said. "It is very humbling to be a leader here."

Watching Team Dyess come together and overcome the day-to-day challenges, meet the needs of the base and the mission, and serve the nation has been a true test but an absolute pleasure, said the 23-year veteran.

Some of the biggest obstacles commanders face in today's Air Force are less people, smaller budgets and constant deployments and Dyess is no exception, but the team has been brilliant, Colonel Ray said.

Dyess has averaged approximately 850 people deployed at any given time over the past year. The constant turnover of people, the constant deployments and training requirements have been big factors, said the colonel.

"One of the most important roles I've had in the past two years has been to provide the team with the tools and the capability they need to do their job and it's not easy," he said. Despite those challenges, the colonel commended the efforts of the B-1 and C-130 aircrews and support personnel have played in supporting the base's mission and the war.

"There will always be a need for an Air Force, a need for airpower and ownership of the air," said Colonel Ray. "The B-1 and C-130 are doing that right now in the war on terror. They are going to be mainstays in this fight and any fight to come. Dyess is always going to have a very pivotal role in the war and the nation's freedom."

In the last two years, there also have been many rewards. The rewards have come in many forms, but most of all it has been serving with a great team, said the colonel. "The real treat is to see what Airmen do every day. We have a base full of great people. They have served brilliantly and valiantly. The people who have led this wing and this base before me and the people who are here now are the reasons why we have a great team."

Team Dyess has earned many awards and accomplished many firsts throughout Air Combat Command and the Air Force, said the Florida native. Just a few of the base's accomplishments include deploying 20 B-1s - the largest in history; saving $14 million in runway repairs; receiving the best Unit Compliance Inspection in ACC since 2001; and having 12 units win best in ACC for 2007.

"But I don't want to just focus on those," Colonel Ray said. "We built a great strategic plan and we stuck to it and made a big difference. We were good stewards. We kept the team capable and combat ready. That is the biggest accomplishment."

The colonel also lauds the continued efforts of Dyess personnel to conserve energy by using "green initiatives." The base's green initiatives include using treated wastewater, using renewable resources and other sources of energy to conserve resources and save money.

"The green piece is a strength of Dyess," he said. "It keeps us viable and a leader in the Air Force and the Department of Defense. Those initiatives are going to continue because there is a great attitude and spirit in this organization."

Colonel Ray believes he is leaving his successor, Col. Robert Gass, a great team with only two regrets - not being able to fly more and leaving an amazing assignment.

"It is going to be very difficult to leave such a great city, to leave such a great base and a great group of Airmen," he said.

Colonel Ray assumed command here in July 2006, and will move on to become the deputy director of the Air and Space Operations Directorate at Headquarters Air Combat Command, Langley AFB, Va. He will depart Dyess shortly after the change of command ceremony.

As deputy director, Colonel Ray will be responsible for providing the strategic vision, operational policy, and resource priority to deliver effective airpower to the Combatant Commander. He will also be responsible for developing, articulating, and integrating tactics, techniques, and procedures to support assigned and attached expeditionary forces, as well as identifying and advocating Combat Air Forces requirements for training programs, infrastructure, and readiness.

Colonel Gass has most recently served as the commander of the 379th Expeditionary Operations Group in Southwest Asia. He has also been stationed at Dyess twice before during his 24-year career and served as the 9th Bomb Squadron commander from 2002-2004.