Square-D Way -- Vision for 100th ARW

  • Published
  • By 1st Lt Christopher Mesnard
  • 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
RAF MILDENHALL, England --  Wing leadership needs your help.

During his commander's calls today, the 100th Air Refueling Wing Commander, Col. Christopher Kulas, described the outcomes from a recent strategy off-site where the wing's senior officer, enlisted and civilian leaders developed a detailed vision for the future of the "Bloody Hundredth."

The event was held to ensure that the wing's long-term goals would align with the overall U.S. Air Force and U.S. Air Forces in Europe missions and purpose while also capitalizing on RAF Mildenhall's unique capabilities.

"Every Airman needs to feel personally invested in the wing's vision," said Kulas. "The only way that we can turn a vision into reality is for every Airman to feel personally responsible for their piece of the puzzle."

The vision highlights how the wing aims to be "at the forefront of responsiveness, readiness and mission effectiveness" while leveraging "our innovative spirit" to stand out among Air Force organizations, according to Kulas.

"We want 'The Square-D Way' to show how RAF Mildenhall sets the standard for how to do business, how to solve problems and how to make our piece of the Air Force a better place," said Col. Kyle Voigt, 100th ARW vice commander. "Our vision is about having a better way of doing things across the enterprise, no matter what specific roles we individually provide."

To reach their desired outcome, the off-site team followed a careful process of analysis and introspective. The first step was answering the question, "Why are we here as a wing?" As the flow of discussion progressed, the obvious answers emerged: air-to-air refueling and combat support echoed among many important inputs by the team members. They then took their answers a step further by illustrating how the many facets of our mission support the National Defense Strategy and our core role to "defend the Constitution of the United States."

The strategic aspect of the sessions then evolved into the question of sustainability and how to make the strategy last throughout the decade rather than just until the next off-site.

"We asked ourselves, 'What goals can we set for the base over the next five to seven years to ensure RAF Mildenhall is still providing defense of our Constitution?'" said Capt. Adam Dalson, 100th ARW Commander's Action Group. "We're looking beyond our current capabilities as a wing, at what the Air Force needs as a whole and how we can best serve those needs."

Finally, leadership recognized and embraced the importance of involved Airmen at all levels.

We need your help to capture this vision in one simple phrase. The finalized vision will directly affect all 100th ARW and Team Mildenhall Airmen, so we want everyone to have a hand in the effort, said Kulas.

The condensed version of the vision is available below and can be found on the RAF Mildenhall website, the RAF Mildenhall Facebook page and will be sent to service members via email. The base leaders encourage all RAF Mildenhall members to read it, reflect on it and then capture that vision in one simple phrase. There is a dedicated post for feedback on the RAF Mildenhall Facebook page, specifically for this purpose. (As an alternative to providing your input publicly, you can also send your suggestion directly via email.)

The "wing vision in one simple phrase" contest is open to base members and their dependents. The 100th ARW Public Affairs office will collect inputs, and then the leadership team will select some of the best phrases for base members to vote on. The person whose input most resembles the final version will even win a prize (to be determined) from the 100th ARW commander.

To submit a contest entry, either post your phrase as a comment on the dedicated RAF Mildenhall Facebook page's wall post or contact the 100th ARW Public Affairs office by emailing 100arw.pa@mildenhall.af.mil. Please title the email "100 ARW Vision Phrase." The contest will run until Jan. 31, and the winner will be announced during this year's annual awards ceremony.

100th Air Refueling Wing Vision

The 100th Air Refueling Wing will stand as an adaptable global partner, at the forefront of responsiveness, readiness and mission effectiveness. The legacy and rich heritage of the Bloody Hundredth will soar higher than ever through our innovative spirit and hearken a new era of cooperative security, revered by all.

The "Square-D Way" provides an example to the U.S. Air Forces in Europe, the U.S. Air Force and the Department of Defense that reflects how to solve problems and conduct operations better than anyone. In doing so, we demonstrate that how we do business is just as important as what we do. The ideal "Square D" Airman actively identifies problems, thoroughly researches requirements, and develops innovative courses of action for comprehensive solutions, while keeping leadership informed along the way. This approach combines compliance with innovation in order to truly enable new methods and improved processes.

The Airmen of the Bloody Hundredth are our greatest assets. Their strength, innovative spirit, resilience and guts are their hallmark and embodied by the "Square-D." All 100th ARW Airmen will know how they contribute to mission success and our core purpose. Each Airman will be respected as a contributor and grow in a unique environment dedicated to his or her development. In our wing, everyone is a life student, regardless of rank or duty title, and taught to be an empowered problem solver and positive change enabler. We will become so good at this that all U.S. Air Force Airmen will want to be posted at RAF Mildenhall and wear a "Square-D." Once an Airman becomes a member of the Bloody Hundredth, they are always a member.

The 100th ARW will be critical to realizing a future where air refueling interoperability is a problem of the past. We will be the key to unleashing the vast potential energy within our European partners' air refueling capacity and enabling foreign exchange officers and NCOs to become an integral part of our aircrew force. As a result, future engagements that the 100th ARW supports will be in cooperation with our allies and coalition partners and will be devoted to stability and collective security.

As the recognized Air Force leader in logistics, maintenance and operational training, we will become the "Lead Wing" by achieving new heights in sortie generation capability and breaking new ground with cutting-edge training technologies.

The aggressive pursuit of infrastructure development, while maintaining the "Square-D" character, will be targeted to meet the needs of future mission requirements. We will preserve the character of Mildenhall while striving for innovations in energy savings and accessibility. Not only will the installation become recognized as one of the most efficient in the U.S. Air Force, but it will serve as desired destination for transient missions crossing the Atlantic Ocean.

The mission partners that comprise "Team Mildenhall" will operate seamlessly and harmoniously. We will achieve an unprecedented synergy, focused on our core purpose, and enable a bright future for all Team Mildenhall Airmen.

The "Square-D Way" - [INSERT YOUR PHRASE HERE!]