CMSAF returns to Columbus AFB, community

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Chase Hedrick
  • 14th Flying Training Wing Public Affairs
COLUMBUS AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. --  The 16th chief master sergeant of the Air Force returned to Columbus, Miss. on Oct. 17 to visit the 14th Flying Training Wing and the local community for a day.

The visit brought back memories for Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James Roy, who had served as the 14th FTW command chief from 2000 to 2002.

"I was so glad I had an opportunity to start my command chief role here at Columbus Air Force Base," said Roy. "This is where it all starts, it really starts here."

The primary mission of the 14th FTW is to produce pilots and start them on their Air Force career. Roy lauded the benefits of being part of a training mission and spoke to how to take advantage of the assignment.

"A lot of people in this room today probably thinking 'Wow, I'm at a pilot training base? You know, there's this operational Air Force thing going on out there today, I'd really like to be a part of that,'" said Chief Roy as he pointed to his sleeve with a smile. "Didn't hurt me."

Chief said that the size of the base gave him the opportunity to learn about the many programs the Air Force has to offer and to learn about the people in the Air Force.

"Just because it's a small base doesn't mean you don't have all of the programs," he said. "You have every single program every other installation in the Air Force has, and you may have a better opportunity to learn those programs because you're not so worried about the volume, so you can focus more on the processes."

The smaller bases also give Airmen the opportunity to see exactly how to take pride in their work by seeing how it affects the mission, said Roy.

"Have a sense of pride in what the mission is. It's easy here because it's all there and you can see directly how you are connected to that mission set," he said. "If you're a dental tech and you're working over in dental you can see how important it is because that student's not going to fly if they don't have the right dental care. "

While Columbus AFB is a small base, the close partnership between the local community and the base empowers the mission according to Roy, who was on Columbus AFB when the 9/11 attacks happened. He said he watched how the local community and the base population came together then, knowing there was a special relationship.

"When I drove in today I saw the welcome sign and it said 'Columbus, Mississippi, home of Columbus Air Force Base.' That just kind of gives you a warm feeling inside," he said. "How many other cities do you drive into that have on their sign, that everybody sees, that they're home to an Air Force base or home to an Army post?"

For the year of 2012 Columbus AFB is celebrating its 70th anniversary with the local community. Chief Roy said the relationship between the base and the local community has benefited Airmen and their families, as well as the pilot training mission.

"We could never do this for another 70 years if the Columbus community didn't support us," he said. "If we didn't have the training areas we'd have a flight line, so what? We can have a flight line anywhere, but our training areas are very important, and it's the community that supports that."

The local community also welcomed Roy and his family to a dinner, where they visited with old friends from their time at Columbus AFB.

"So many friends here, Ms. Paula and I and the boys are just so proud to have had an opportunity to be a part of the senior leadership team of this organization, and to come back I really feel like I'm at home. The base gives me that feeling, but also the community gives me that feeling, and it's good to be back home," he said. "I come here with a very warm heart in knowing that this is a great place to be assigned. It's a great base with a great mission and great people that will continue to do the Air Force proud."