SECAF visits Scott AFB mobility Airmen

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Kristine Dreyer
  • Air Mobility Command Public Affairs
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. (AFNS) --  Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson visited with mobility Airman at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, July 19-20, 2018.

During her visit, Wilson engaged with local leaders, received an Air Mobility Command tour highlighting the command's successes and capabilities and held a town hall meeting where she spoke about her priorities and engaged in a question and answer session.

“I am third generation Air Force,” Wilson said during the town hall. “My grandfather was one of the founding fathers in the Royal Air Force. He joined the RAF a month after its establishment in 1918. He then came to America and flew for the United States in the second World War”

Wilson continued the family tradition by serving in the Air Force from 1982 to 1989. Because of her service Wilson understands how the Air Force will continue to win in an evolving environment.

“I expect you to live in accordance with our values,” said Wilson. “If we are an organization that is values driven, mission focused and people oriented we will continue to be the most dominant Air Force in the world.”

Wilson also stressed how important it is for new ideas to be heard and good ideas to be implemented as quickly as possible.

“We have to innovate faster than our adversaries,” said Wilson. “That means we are going have to free up some of the constraints on how we change the Air Force over time…We should be able to do things faster so we can get capabilities to the warfighter faster.”

More rapid innovation also applies to aircraft modernization. With the anticipation of the initial KC-46 delivery to AMC in October 2018, Wilson shared the Air Force’s expectation for the new tanker aircraft.

“We are keeping the pressure on Boeing to deliver (the KC-46) aircraft, which will improve and expand our capability,” she said. “They are in the final stages of testing and they have an aggressive but achievable schedule to deliver it in October.”

Although this was her first visit to Headquarters AMC as secretary, Wilson is no stranger to the major command’s mission.

“Thank you all for what you do,” said Wilson, “for serving in the Air Force and for being part of this command. It has been a wonderful year for your community. Serving as your secretary of the Air Force, I am extremely proud to be associated with all of you as Airmen.”