7th BW commander unveils new direction

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. Lauren Linscott
  • 7th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
DYESS AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  Col. Michael Bob Starr, 7th Bomb Wing commander, outlined a new direction for the wing in a series of commander's calls held here Sept. 29-30, 2014.

During his first meeting with Airmen after assuming command in February, Starr said he wouldn't make any immediate changes to the way the wing conducted business.  After observing operations and analyzing guidance from senior Air Force leadership, he worked with the Dyess senior leadership team to develop a new course for the 7th BW that includes a revised mission statement and adjusted set of priorities.

Leveraging the recently-released strategy from the Air Force Secretary and Chief of Staff, "America's Air Force: A Call to the Future," Starr aggressively challenged Airmen to move beyond existing paradigms and fully embrace a culture marked by innovation and bold leadership.

"Everyone needs to think, question, challenge, and communicate," said Starr. "Innovation not only needs to happen on all levels, it must be encouraged at all levels."

Starr also recognized that transforming the wing's culture will be a challenge.

"One of the keys to becoming more innovative is to ensure our mission is very sharply focused and widely understood," he said. "Before I unleash 5,000 innovators to rethink the way we do business, everyone must first understand the central purpose."

Starr then unveiled a concise, easily-understood statement summarizing the wing's mission of providing overwhelming long-range strike within hours anywhere in the world:  When our nation calls - death from above.  Starr explained, "I need everyone in the wing to find your specific purpose and tie it to this mission.  Even though you might think your duties have nothing to do with dropping bombs, the reason you're doing them at Dyess Air Force Base is to enable this mission."

Next, he introduced four priorities for the 7th BW:  to be ready, reliable, resilient and revolutionary.  "First and most importantly, we must be ready to win," he declared, "both in today's fight and in tomorrow's."  Next, he underscored the importance of being reliable teammates for all Dyess mission partners and reliable partners for the local, Abilene community.  Starr also emphasized resiliency, pointing out that true resiliency is more than developing resilient Airmen; it also involves organizing these Airmen into resilient teams and ensuring their families are resilient, too.  Finally, he charged the wing to be revolutionary in its approach and commitment to innovation.

Starr demonstrated his own commitment to innovation by presenting his message through an interactive, web-based program that allowed the audience to follow along on their smart phones.  With the click of a button, Airmen in attendance could text questions to the commander throughout the presentation, and respond in real time to surveys he offered as part of his briefing.  Audience participation was enthusiastic, and feedback was overwhelmingly positive.  Maj. Brian Ranaudo, 9th Bomb Squadron director of operations, commented, "The commander's call was perfect and the delivery method was very refreshing."     

Starr fielded questions about various issues, including actions the wing is taking to re-open Dyess' indoor pool, which was closed earlier in 2014 due to budget constraints, and the role of B-1s in U.S. airstrikes against ISIL terrorists in Syria. He was also asked whether the wing's new focus on innovation would conflict with the current culture of compliance.

He explained that by identifying and elevating ineffective practices for commanders' consideration, leaders can disseminate new directions and guidance that allow their Airmen to remain compliant while eliminating redundancies and tasks that do not contribute to mission accomplishment.

Starr concluded his presentation by noting that although his priorities for the wing require Airmen to have the courage to challenge conventional wisdom and embrace change, his intent is to guide the 7th BW back to the Air Force's long legacy of innovation by recapturing the pioneering spirit of the Airmen who have come before.