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Outgoing wing commander reflects on his two years here
The men and women of Mountain Home Air Force Base weathered numerous challenges and setbacks over the past two years, according to its outgoing commander.
But at the same time, they recorded a number of noteworthy achievements while maintaining their combat readiness, he said.
Col. Chris Short said he was proud to lead the Gunfighters during this turbulent time in the wing's history. In his final days as Gunfighter 1 -- the title bestowed on those who lead the wing -- the colonel paused last week to reflect on the milestones his airmen overcame during his time here.
On Tuesday, the colonel stepped down as the leader of the Gunfighters. Selected for promotion to brigadier general, he left Mountain Home for his next assignment as the commander of the 57th Wing at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.
Looking back over the past two years, Short took command of the fighter wing as it prepared for an operational readiness inspection aimed at gauging its combat readiness.
"We got to the point where we were operating across the board at an excellent level with some units doing outstanding," he said. "We were very confident... that we could do our wartime mission across the spectrum."
But all of those preparations came to a screeching halt after the federal government enacted mandatory budget cuts due to sequestration. Those across-the-board cuts were spread across the Department of Defense and directly hit the base's flying mission.
In addition to grounding one of the base's two F-15E Strike Eagle squadrons, a majority of the wing's maintenance operations stood down. The wing's higher headquarters inspection was also cancelled.
"That's tough when you've done nine months of preparation to showcase how well you can do the job," Short said regarding the work the wing invested in preparing for that evaluation.
However, knowing that Gunfighters were ready to deploy at a moment's notice to face a multitude of different missions made that news easier to deal with, he added. It emphasized that the Gunfighters were operating at a high level of combat proficiency despite the budget cuts that hampered the wing's day-to-day operations.
But sequestration was just the beginning of the budget battles that directly affected the wing's mission. In October, the federal government shut down for two weeks as legislators on Capitol Hill worked to hammer out a budget deal.
During that time, Mountain Home and other military installations issued mandatory furloughs for its civilian workers. It not only affected the base's day-to-day operations but affected morale as well, he said.
The wing's flying mission was also grounded for the second time in less than a year. At the same time, there were fewer dollars to send airmen to advanced training and leadership schools to improve their level of proficiency.
"We had to cut out a lot of those nice or 'ought to do' things because all we could afford was what we had to do," he said.
Yet, the wing continued to remain combat ready. In early 2013, more than 500 airmen representing the 389th Fighter Squadron and 389th Aircraft Maintenance Unit were sent to southwest Asia for six months as part of a regularly scheduled deployment.
"We had to be mission ready," Short emphasized regarding the combat readiness of the Gunfighters. "There was no clause that said it was OK to send someone that was less-than-mission ready," he said.
But Short emphasized that the Gunfighter designation is not a label. It represents a "special culture" of innovative men and women that look out for one another while doing their jobs to the best of the ability
"There's a tradition here of doing the job right... and to be excellent in all we do with the resources that we have," he said.
At the same time, Mountain Home and cities across southern Idaho play a special role in promoting that Gunfighter culture. In fact, the base's reputation is well known across the Air Force and was something the colonel learned before he and his family arrived here.
"When you get here, you really understand what that means," he said. "It's an overall respect and appreciation of the mission by the people who live on or around the base."
The city goes out of its way to not only understand the wing's mission but to improve the quality of life for airmen and their families living on base and in the local community. It culminates each September during Air Force Appreciation Day where people come out in full force to show their support for the base and those stationed here.
"There's an overall supportive feel for the military in southwest Idaho and support for what we do," Short said. They understand the sacrifices airmen and their families here face every day.
The colonel also applauded the efforts of local officials and state legislators to emphasize the wing's importance as an international training base to military and national leaders.
Looking back over the past two years, the colonel admits it's tough to leave the Gunfighters.
"I feel that I'm part of a big team and I have a lot of blood, sweat and tears with this team, so it's very hard to leave it," he said.
But the Gunfighter team doesn't revolve around the person leading the wing. "This whole thing isn't about Chris Short. It's something much bigger," he said.
The Gunfighters will continue to get better and will show up every day ready to carry out their mission regardless of where they are called to serve, he said.