Commanding an Air Force Squadron in the Twenty-First Century A Practical Guide of Tips and Techniques for Today’s Squadron Commander JEFFRY F. SMITH Lieutenant Colonel, USAF Air University Press Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama August 2003 Air University Library Cataloging Data Smith, Jeffry F. —Commanding an Air Force squadron in the twenty-first century : a practical guide of tips and techniques for today’s squadron commander / Jeffry F. Smith. —p. ; cm. —Includes bibliographical references and index. —Contents: Critical months—The mission—People—Communicative leadership— The good, the bad and the ugly—Cats and dogs—Your exit strategy. —ISBN 978- 1-58566-119-0 1. United States. Air Force—Officers’ handbooks. 2. Command of troops. I. Title. 358.4/1330/41—dc21 First Printing August 2003 Second Printing September 2004 Third Printing April 2005 Fourth Printing August 2005 Fifth Printing March 2007 Sixth Printng August 2007 Seventh Printing August 2008 Disclaimer Opinions, conclusions, and recommendations expressed or implied are solely those of the au- thor and do not necessarily represent the views of Air University, the United States Air Force, the Department of Defense, or any other US government agency. Cleared for public release: distribution unlimited. Air University Press 131 West Shumacher Avenue Maxwell AFB AL 36112–5962 http://aupress.maxwell.af.mil ii To my parents, Carl and Marty Smith, whose example of truth, ethics,and integrity shaped my life. And to my wife Cheryl and sons Stephen and Andrew, whose love, support, and service to our Air Force has been my inspiration to continue to serve. THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK Contents Chapter Page DISCLAIMER . iii DEDICATION . iii FOREWORD . -vii ABOUT THE AUTHOR . ix PREFACE . xi INTRODUCTION . -xv 1 CRITICAL MONTHS . 1 Introduction . 1 Before Taking Over . 1 The Art of Command . 16 The First Three Months (When the Honeymoon’s Over!) . 17 Notes . 38 2 THE MISSION . 41 Lessons of Leadership in Action . 41 Command Relationships . 44 Building Unit Cohesion and Morale . 49 Formal Inspections . 54 Notes . 61 3 PEOPLE . 63 Welcome . 63 Key Personnel . 66 Counseling . 82 Recognition Programs . 84 Personnel Decisions . 86 v Chapter Page Ceremonies . 189 Roles of Spouses and Families . 198 Notes . 102 4 COMMUNICATIVE LEADERSHIP . 105 Commander’s Call . 105 News of the Week . 109 Squadron Meetings . 109 Routine Paperwork . 119 Officer/Enlisted Performance Reports . 124 Open Door (or Screen Door) Policies . 126 E-mail . 128 Notes . 130 5 THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY . 131 The Good . 131 The Bad: Learning How to Use Your Authority . 139 The Ugly: Times of Crises . 147 Notes . 154 6 CATS AND DOGS . 157 Honorary Squadron Commander Programs . 157 Closing Down a Squadron . 158 Money Management . 160 Dorm Inspections . 162 US Government Travel Card . 164 Notes . 165 7 YOUR EXIT STRATEGY . 167 Finishing the Job and Leaving in Style . 167 Change of Command Ceremony . 172 Notes . 174 GLOSSARY . 175 INDEX . 177 vi Foreword The opportunity to command is a tremendous honor and re- sponsibility and unquestionably will be one of the most signif- icant roles of your Air Force career. The very nature of command is unique to the military; there is no civilian equivalent for this level of trust, authority, and responsibility. The essence of com- mand is leadership, and your example will set the standard for your entire organization. For this reason, command is reserved for those individuals exhibiting only the highest levels of in- tegrity, selflessness, and excellence. Leadership is not accomplished from behind the desk or by way of E-mail; rather, effective leadership requires you to lead from out front. Since the responsibilities of such leadership may appear daunting to first-time commanders, our Air Force places significant emphasis on precommand training to ensure your readiness for these new responsibilities. Immerse yourself in the available training to ensure you fully understand the rules of engagement. There is much to learn from the insights, experiences, and recommendations of previous commanders. Lt Col Jeff Smith’s Commanding an Air Force Squadron in the Twenty-First Cen- tury provides some excellent perspectives from current and graduated commanders to help set your course and prepare you for the best job in the Air Force. Congratulations on your command and Godspeed! JOHN P. JUMPER General, USAF Chief of Staff vii THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK About the Author Lt Col Jeffry F. Smith was born on 22 January 1961 in Roswell, New Mexico. After graduating from Bishop Ireton High School in Alexandria, Virginia, he entered the Pennsylva- nia State University on a four-year Reserve Officer Training Corps academic scholarship. He obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and International Affairs in 1983. He has a master’s degree in Management from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and a similar degree in Strategic Studies from Air University, Maxwell AFB, Alabama. Colonel Smith com- pleted resident courses in Squadron Officer School in 1987, Air Command and Staff College in 1994, Armed Forces Staff College in 1995, and Air War College in 2002. Colonel Smith entered active duty at Williams AFB, Arizona, in August 1983. He graduated from Undergraduate Pilot Train- ing in August 1984 and entered B-52G Combat Crew Training at Castle AFB, California, where he was a distinguished grad- uate. His first assignment was to the 441st Bomb Squadron at Mather AFB, California, where he performed co-pilot and eval- uator co-pilot duties. In 1988 Colonel Smith was board-se- lected to attend B-1B training at Dyess AFB, Texas. An out- standing graduate of both B-1B initial qualification training and pilot upgrade training and a distinguished graduate of the Central Flight Instructor Course, he was assigned to Grand Forks AFB, North Dakota. He served with the 46th Bomb Squadron as pilot, evaluator pilot, aircraft commander, in- structor pilot, and squadron training flight instructor pilot. He holds three B-1B time-to-climb world records. ix In March 1992 Colonel Smith was assigned to Headquarters Eighth Air Force as aide-de-camp and then executive officer to the commander. In July 1993 he attended Air Command and Staff College at Maxwell AFB, Alabama. Upon graduation, he was assigned as operations officer, Operations Directorate (J37); and as Joint Task Force training action officer (J38), Head- quarters USCINCPAC, Camp H. M. Smith, Hawaii. During his tour at Pacific Command, he attended Armed Forces Staff Col- lege and Joint Professional Military Education Phase II and was subsequently selected as a joint specialty officer. In May 1996 he was reassigned to the 9th Bomb Squadron, Dyess AFB, Texas, as assistant director of operations. He was then selected as deputy commander, 7th Operations Support Squadron in September 1997. Colonel Smith took command of the 37th Bomb Squadron at Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota, in July 1999. He led the 28th Bomb Wing’s largest combat flying squadron of more than 490 personnel assigned and 13 B-1B aircraft valued at more than $3.6 billion. In July 2001, he was selected to attend the Air War College at Maxwell AFB, Alabama, for the academic year 2002. Colonel Smith’s decorations include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (with three oak leaf clusters), Air Medal, Aerial Achievement Medal, Air Force Com- mendation Medal, Joint Service Achievement Medal, Air Force Achievement Medal, Combat Readiness Medal (with two oak leaf clusters), National Defense Service Medal, and Humani- tarian Service Medal. He is a command pilot with more than 3,100 hours in the T-37, T-38, B-52G, and B-1B aircraft. Colonel Smith and his wife, the former Cheryl Vanderpool of Los Angeles, California, have two sons, Stephen and Andrew. x Preface Col Timothy T. Timmons was the original author of the book entitled, Commanding an Air Force Squadron. He wrote it while he was a student at the National War College in 1989. The staff of the National Defense University supported his research, and Air University Press published the original book in 1993. I had the privilege of reading his book for the first time while I was a student at Air Command and Staff College. I loved it. I found it extremely useful, insightful, and full of pertinent stories from officers who had just left command. I then reread it in 1999 when I was selected to command the 37th Bomb Squadron “Tigers,” a large B-1 flying squadron at Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota. While I found many of his basic command principles timeless, I also realized that much of the United States Air Force had changed in the last decade or so, and his wonderful work was in need of an update to reflect command in the twenty-first century. I thought it would be a shame if someone didn’t take the opportunity to rewrite his book. My opportunity came when I was selected to attend Air War College. The commandant at the time was Maj Gen David MacGhee, who, in his welcoming and opening remarks, issued a challenge to the students: “Make a difference while you’re here.” Commanding an Air Force Squadron in the Twenty-First Century is my attempt to make a difference. Because Timmons’s original work was so excellent and famil- iar to a generation of United States Air Force officers, I decided to write a new book, using his original framework, reflecting the changes of the Air Force since its original production. I believe this book captures those changes, and I hope the reader finds the work equally engaging, and that someone will take the baton to write the third edition when necessary. This book won’t depart much from the original framework for a very good reason—“don’t mess with something that’s good”—advice that I heeded many times while I was in com- mand.