Second to none: 2nd Air Force commander visits Sheppard

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Kyle E. Gese
  • 82nd Training Wing Public Affairs

Maj. Gen. Robert Labrutta, 2nd Air Force commander, visited the 82nd Training Wing and the 80th Flying Training Wing for an immersion tour of Sheppard Oct. 3-5, 2016.

 

Labrutta started his tour by visiting with base leadership to learn about Sheppard’s mission and capabilities. His tour continued with visits to the various schoolhouses at Sheppard; he saw firsthand their mission, Airmen and capabilities. During his visit, Labrutta also took time to talk with instructors and Airmen, discussing the challenges and successes they face in their training environments.

 

Labrutta also spoke to members of the 82nd Training Wing in a commander’s call, where he spoke about his command philosophy: leading from the front, striving for excellence, taking care of people and their families, maintaining and enforcing standards, being humble and kind, and lastly the importance of not counting the days, but making every day count.

 

“My favorite part was getting to see one of our senior leaders' perspectives on how the Air Education and Training Command conducts business, and what expectations he has for us,” said Capt. Michael Hillier, Air Force logistics officer instructor. “There’s nothing better than having three to four thousand people in a hangar for an all call, and hearing all the enthusiasm from the young men and women that are coming through here the first time for technical school. General Labrutta really fired everyone up with inspiring and motivational stories.”

 

He challenged Airmen at the all call to leave the base better than when they found it, and strive to be better than their predecessors.

 

“You need me to be the best at my job, but I need you to be the subject matter experts we need in our United States Air Force to lead us into the future,” Labrutta said. “Everybody that’s sitting down right now, you better be better than the person that came in before you … we have an obligation to ourselves, to our families, to our nation and to our Air Force.”

 

Labrutta thanked Sheppard for their continued effort to train and inspire Airmen, and said their work directly impacts the Air Force and its ability to complete its mission around the globe.

 

“There is never a bad day in the Second Air Force when you get to train and inspire the next generation of Airmen in the world’s greatest Air Force,” he said as the all call ended. “And don’t you ever forget it!”