MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. -- Lt. Gen. Brian S. Robinson, commander of Air Education and Training Command, his wife Mrs. Maureen Robinson, and Chief Master Sgt. Erik Thompson, command chief of AETC, visited the 42nd Air Base Wing, July 25-26, 2022.
The wing enables mission success for Air University and more than 40 mission partners by providing installation support for Airmen, Guardians, and their families.
Robinson started the visit with a mission overview briefing and discussion of the 42nd’s priorities and opportunities.
“When we’re making these decisions about the base infrastructure and resources, we need to focus on getting it right not just for next year, but for those who come after us,” Robinson said. “I’m impressed with how the wing is keeping operational ramifications at the forefront when they’re mapping the future of Maxwell.”
Robinson and Thompson were then briefed by the Air Force Reserve 908th Airlift Wing on Maxwell about their mission transition from the C-130 Hercules airplane to the MH-139 Grey Wolf helicopter.
Robinson, Mrs. Robinson, and Thompson also met with one of Montgomery’s Air Education and Training Command civic leaders, Virginia Whitfield, and Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce members, led by chamber president Anna Buckalew, to learn more about the Maxwell and Montgomery partnership.
The following day, Robinson and Thompson started their morning at a breakfast with Airmen, while Mrs. Robinson met with key spouses.
Robinson presented coins to Tech. Sgt. Natalie Yarbrough, mental health clinic flight chief; Staff Sgt. Michael Sclafani, noncommissioned officer in charge of medical information technology; Senior Airman Keshaun Lewis, traffic manager; and Senior Airman Michael Mothersell, assignment councilor, in recognition of their outstanding performance supporting Maxwell-Gunter.
“I wasn't expecting to get coined by General Robinson,” Lewis said. “Being able to know that I did great in my job and provided excellent customer service for the Air Force makes me feel great.”
Separately, Mrs. Robinson visited the Maxwell Elementary/Middle School, child development center, youth center, and Grace Chapel to meet with spouses and discuss quality of life initiatives at Maxwell.
In honor of civil rights icon and once-U.S. Army Air Corps civilian, Robinson, Mrs. Robinson, and Thompson visited Maxwell’s Rosa Parks sculpture. The sculpture was created by Ian Mangum with the 42nd Force Support Squadron, and was dedicated on Dec. 1, 2020 to coincide with the 65th anniversary of Parks’ arrest for refusal to give up her seat on a Montgomery bus.
Robinson also made a point to visit the leaders, students and academics of Air War College, where the general addressed students about the importance of creating joint warfighters and the role Air University plays being crucial to those efforts.
During his address, he shared how AETC is working to build Airmen at every level of the Air Force to lead in conflict.
“The Chief of Staff of the Air Force has directed us to champion decision-making at every level of leadership and empower our people to make decisions quickly,” Robinson said. “At AETC, we need to set the tone for that early and often in training.”