Honorary commander of 28th BS goes to Washington

  • Published
  • By 1st Lt. Aaron Hochman-Zimmerman
  • 7th Bomb Wing Protocol
DYESS AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  Jay Gibson, 28th Bomb Squadron honorary commander and managing director of a local consulting firm, has been appointed deputy undersecretary of defense (management reform), a new Pentagon position.

The new post will be involved in ongoing efforts to improve business practices within the Department of Defense.

“I’m honored and flattered and ready to serve,” Mr. Gibson said.

Mr. Gibson will step down as 28th BS honorary commander today and will soon move his wife and two sons to the nation’s capitol to begin his new job.

“Being involved with the 28th as an honorary commander has been one of the real joys of my life,” Mr. Gibson said. “It’s been a real honor. (My wife and I) have been included and treated as part of the Mohawk family.”

Mr. Gibson said his relationship with Dyess has lead to experiences and acquaintances which broadened his understanding of the military.

“Through my involvement, I had the ability to go beyond Dyess,” he said. “I had a chance to meet with and interact with many folks ranging from Air Combat Command, the
Pentagon and Space Command. Through my relationship with the squadron and the base, I got to know particular issues that went beyond Dyess.”

“He’s been a wonderful friend,” Lt. Col. Jeff Taliaferro, 28th BS commander, said of Mr. Gibson. “Both he and his wife, Lauris, have been wonderful friends to both my wife and me, and to the squadron as a whole.”

Colonel Taliaferro spoke highly of the honorary commander position.

“The role of the honorary commander is primarily to establish community between the city of Abilene and the military members,” he said. “The honorary commander (also) provides a level of friendship with the military commander and is a wonderful source of experience, (as well as) an additional view point and a fresh look at questions facing the military commander -- anything from personnel to resource management to meeting the mission.”

“My contribution is minimal, in my opinion,” Mr. Gibson said of this job at the squadron. “Our goal -- and my wife has been involved as well -- is to make the folks at the 28th feel
comfortable in Abilene and to know that we support and appreciate them.

“Our standpoint is that they’re welcome in our home any time. They’ve welcomed us into the squadron, and we want to reciprocate that. Hopefully, they feel like part of our family.”

Mr. Gibson said he will work for the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller), Tina Jonas, whose goal is “to make the Department of Defense a more efficient business.”

“I don’t think the desire to transform the Department of Defense is driven by the assumption that it’s broken,” Mr. Gibson said. “I think it’s driven by the question, ‘Are we being as efficient as we can be?’ We will be evaluating a lot of the internal policies and procedures.”

“As an example, information starts out in the field, and by the time it gets into the system it’s been touched four or five times,” Mr. Gibson said. “If there are ways to reduce that handling then we’ve made it more efficient. We’ve freed up resources to do something else.”

With DK Consulting of Abilene, Mr. Gibson has dealt with financial, operating and management issues which arise in the private sector. “I think it’s those experiences and skill sets that are of interest to (the Pentagon),” he said. “We’ve been involved in workouts and turnarounds, improving business practices, and procedures in a number of companies,” Mr. Gibson said.

The most significant qualification Mr. Gibson brings to his new job, in his own opinion, is experience from the private sector and another viewpoint.

“I know, I personally, will not have all the answers, but I hope that I can be a part of facilitating and working to bring the resources together so that we come up with a solution and get it done.”

“He has earned a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to join the office of the secretary of defense and make a significant difference in government and military transformation,” Colonel Taliaferro said.

Mr. Gibson will be replaced as 28th BS honorary commander by John Brogan, president of Telecom Unlimited of Abilene. Mr. Brogan is also an active member of the Abilene Chamber of Commerce Military Affairs Committee. Mr. Brogan will join Jack North, who is a longtime honorary commander of the 28th BS.