SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. -- Gen. Mark Kelly, commander of Air Combat Command, and Chief Master Sgt. David Wade, Command Chief of Air Combat Command, joined 20th Maintenance Group Airmen for the 2021 Maintenance Professional of the Year banquet after a Shaw AFB immersion.
Every year the 20th MXG gathers for a celebration of the work and accomplishments achieved by Airmen and teams in the group over the previous 12 months.
“Gen. Kelly joining our Airmen in celebrating the accomplishments of the 20th MXG helps validate the impact they are having on the MAJCOM level,” said Col. David Goode, 20th MXG commander. “Our maintainers are some of the most resilient, professional Airmen in the Air Force. They punch well above their weight in terms of strategic impact.”
The 20th MXG supported combat operations in the United States Central Command area of responsibility with the deployment of the 77th Fighter Generation Squadron (FGS), executed multiple Agile Combat Employment (ACE) exercises and reorganized their group structure with the establishment of the 55th, 77th and 79th FGSs in the past year.
Every FGS in the 20th MXG executed ACE exercises to better prepare Airmen to continue to generate combat power from contingency locations.
“Weasel maintainers have embraced the combat-oriented maintenance organization construct (COMO) and the FGS and are leading the way for the Air Force with Theory of Constraints (TOC),” said Goode. “COMO changes the way we present forces and TOC is the vehicle through which we refine our processes and better generate sorties.”
The FGS restructure shortens the chain of command by proving in-house command teams and increases unit support personnel, aiming to increase flexibility. The 20th MXG also uses production principles from the TOC to analyze the full spectrum of maintenance operations to reduce bottlenecks and streamline sortie generation.
“The FGS is absolutely the best organizational structure that I have served in,” said Senior Master Sgt. Robert Patterson, 79th FGS sortie support flight chief. “I’ve been a part of the fighter squadron construct, an aircraft maintenance squadron and now the FGS. The streamlined structure of the FGS removes barriers to taking care of Airmen in a personal, direct and expeditious manner.”
The enhancements in resiliency showcased in the establishment of the FGS were not only present while observing maintenance practices but also across the base and even across organizations.
Squadron commanders and their spouses throughout the 20th Fighter Wing discussed violence prevention, civilian career opportunities and mentorship opportunities for family members with Kelly, and 9th Air Force (Air Forces Central) leadership. The forum offered a venue to provide updates on how the organization is moving to create command and control resiliency.
All of these measures are directed toward the same end goal: readiness to answer our nation’s call.
“Generating combat airpower is hard work,” said Goode. “Our Shaw maintainers work in the heat, cold, wind and rain to get our F-16’s in the air and ready to win the next fight.”