Menu
New wing commander takes reins of Gunfighters
Col. Anthony "Tony" Rock says command of the 366th Fighter Wing is "a dream assignment" for him and his wife, Kim.
Rock assumed command of the wing from Col. Charles Shugg two weeks ago, beginning an anticipated two-year tour of duty at Mountain Home AFB.
"He's a tough act to follow," Rock said of his predecessor, a man he had previously served under as a squadron commander while stationed at Tyndall AFB.
Rock brings a high energy, outgoing personality and a sharp, quick mind to his new job as wing commander, and sees his role as taking what he believes is one of the best units in the Air Force and sharpening its blade to an even finer hone.
"This wing is right on course for where it needs to be," he said.
"Our primary focus is, and will remain, combat airpower."
There are three things, he said, that make for a good unit -- energy, initiative and optimism.
It's all a matter of never believing anything is impossible. "Find out what you have to do and then figure out how to do it," he said.
Set high standards, be innovative by encouraging out-of-the-box thinking, and stay focused on the goal, he added.
"The key is combat readiness," he insisted. "We've seen in the last 48 hours," he said during an interview last Friday, referring to the airstrike that killed al-Zarqawi, the leader of al-Queda in Iraq last week, "the value of airpower."
"Some people have begun to question airpower," he said, noting that a ground war tends to diminish the public's perception of the need for airpower, "but there is no more supportive proponent of airpower than a troop in contact" with the enemy. "What we've seen is how adaptive and responsive airpower can be.... When they're called to put killing hot iron on the bad guys, they do it."
Today's Air Force he said, is better trained, better equipped and more experienced than it has ever been. "When I went to combat (with the 1st Fighter Wing) in 1991 (during Operation Desert Storm) in our entire wing I think we only had two guys who'd been in combat. I can guarantee that figure is now more than 50 percent today."
Citing operations in Desert Storm, Bosnia, Northern Watch and Southern Watch, and Afghanistan, as well as Iraq, Rock noted that the Air Force has been "in continuous combat for 15 years. We have a very seasoned group of airmen."
As a result, he said, he takes every one of his troops, from senior airmen through NCOs, who have seen combat, and cycles them through leadership courses to use their experience to help train those who have yet to see combat.
Rock believes the expeditionary wing concept, which gives up to 20 months of warning for a unit deployment, has helped bring predictability and stability to the lives of the troops, and more importantly, their families. It gives them time to prepare, and builds a rhythm to operations that helps the troops and their families cope with the rigors of a deployment.
The predictability, he said, "has paid off," in creating a force filled with dedicated people "that I know I can trust with my life."
Rock inherits a wing that in recent years has had a number of units and programs cited as some of the best in the Air Force. "We've got some great facilities and programs, here," he said, noting as just one of several examples he listed the youth center and its programs, which were named best in ACC, as well as the high quality family support and Outdoor Adventure programs.
"All these programs are run by people with initiative, and that gives back to combat readiness" because those being deployed don't have to worry about their families."
The new housing also is an encouraging sign of the commitment the Air Force makes to its troops. "It's what our airmen deserve," he said, and he praised the maintenance staff, "some of those unsung heroes" on base, for making sure all those facilities are in the best condition possible.
Already Rock has begun to see the strong relationship between the base and the town, which he appreciates. "I've been in the Air Force 24 years, and I've never see a community as supportive as Mountain Home," he said.
And he has stressed to his troops to take advantage of all the opportunities available to them while stationed here. In fact, when he was making the rounds of the units under his command, he almost sounded like a representative of the Chamber of Commerce, urging his people to take part in the culture available here and in Boise, the sports, and the outdoors.
"It's exciting to be here in the high desert," he said. "I'm from Texas, where the terrain is similar, but without the mountains." He noted all the wildlife he'd already seen from his front yard, and the lure and majesty of the mountains above Mountain Home. "This is a Marlin Perkins experience," he said. "Some of our young airmen, they may never have been out of the city. I tell them this is a great opportunity (to enjoy the outdoors). Take advantage of it."
In fact, seizing every opportunity that comes along is something he encourages everyone under him to do, whether it be recreational or professional.
Rock's wife, Kim, will be joining him soon, as soon as their youngest daughter completes her sophomore year in Virginia. He said he's looking forward to the stability of her finishing her last two years of high school in one place.
"This will be her third high school in three years," he said, echoing a common lament of many military families. "It's an interesting paradox. If you're doing well and progressing (professionally), the time your kids need the most stability is when they give you the least."
Rock and his wife also have two sons, both attending college in Texas.
He said his wife, after attending the reception following the change of command ceremony before rushing back to Virginia to pack up for the move out here, had enjoyed visiting with the members of the community and had remarked about how she loved the small-town atmosphere that reminded her of where she grew up.
"I think we're going to like it here," Rock said. "We're looking forward to it."