25th Air Force leadership visits Offutt

by Staff Sgt. Dallas Edwards
55th Wing Public Affairs

2/9/2015 - OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. -- The 25th Air Force commander and command chief visited Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., from Jan. 25 - 29.

Maj. Gen. John N.T. Shanahan, 25 AF commander, and Chief Master Sgt. Roger Towberman, 25 AF command chief, met, dined and spoke with Airmen, received multiple briefs, visited U.S. Strategic Command, the Air Force Weather Agency and various 55th Wing units during the four-day visit.

This was the two leaders' first trip to Offutt since the Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency was re-designated from a Field Operating Agency to a numbered Air Force Sept. 29.

Shanahan held a commander's call to discuss his vision and expectations for the NAF and to discuss the future of the wing's missions. He also wanted to tell Airmen how valuable the Fightin' Fifty-Fifth is to 25 AF and the Air Force overall.

"You are an incredibly important part of 25th Air Force," Shanahan said. "I was so excited that the 9th Wing and 55th Wing were announced as coming into the 25th Air Force because for the first time we are taking the 'iron' -- the aircraft, the platform, the sensors -- and putting them together with the processing, exploitation and dissemination under one commander."

The general stressed the importance of innovation to accomplish tomorrow's missions, and getting rid old habits and find a better way of doing things.

"Please don't ever use the famous words, 'that's the way we've always done it,'" said Shanahan during a commander's call. "We've got to get away from that."

This visit was also an opportunity to highlight the way Team Offutt embraces innovation and ingenuity, and the general and chief took the opportunity to personally thank many members of Team Offutt for their outstanding support to missions and operations currently underway around the globe.

"It was a fantastic opportunity to share our many successes and discuss some of our challenges with these two senior leaders," said Chief Master Sgt. Matthew Grengs, 55th Wing command chief.  "More importantly, we got to brag about all the amazing Airmen who enable that success and will undoubtedly help find creative and innovative ways to overcome the challenges we face."

The general, the 55th Wing commander from April 2009 to March 2011, also coined several Airmen during his visit.

The 25th AF provides full-spectrum decision advantage to warfighters and national leaders through globally integrated ISR, electronic warfare, information operations, and strategic command and control.