General makes return visit to CAFB

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Danielle Powell
  • 14th Flying Training Wing Public Affairs
COLUMBUS AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. --  Major Gen. Mark Anderson was the keynote speaker at the graduation of SUPT Class 07-11 Friday.
General Anderson is the mobilization assistant to the Deputy Chief of Staff, Logistics, Installations and Mission Support, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, The Pentagon. He was also the head of the Installation Excellence Board that inspected Columbus AFB in February.
As he has visited CAFB before, General Anderson thinks Columbus is "a great base. It's a great town with a lot of great people."
"I had such a pleasant experience when I was here in February I knew I wanted to come back and speak at a graduation and visit the base and the area again. You have great people doing a great job for our country and for our Air Force," said General Anderson. "It is an honor and a privilege to be asked to address them on the first day they are going to Air Force pilots. I can hopefully leave them with some sort of message they will be able to take with them throughout the years."
While the general was on his visit he was able to tour the 48th Flying Training Squadron and take a flight in a T-1 Friday afternoon. "I came off active flying ten years ago. So anytime I can get in an Air Force airplane and fly is special to me," said General Anderson.
Being a member of the Air Force Reserve Command, General Anderson was eager to see the impact that other reservists have here at CAFB. At Columbus there are more than 90 reservists.
"The reserve impact is such a great accomplishment through Air Education and Training Command and AFRC to be able to deliver this kind of missions' capability using the large number of reservists in use at all the pilot training bases, particularly at CAFB. It is a great example of the Total Force at work. You cannot tell the active duty from the reservists. They are trained at the same level, doing the same job, accomplishing the same mission day in and day out," said General Anderson.
While General Anderson was able to give advice to the most recent class of Air Force pilots he offered some advice for future pilots currently going through pilot training. "The best advice I can give them is it is all worth it. It seems like a long road that will seemingly never end, but it's all worth it in the end. The chance to be an AF pilot and fly airplanes is a great responsibility and also a great joy." He continued by saying "You have to work hard, and that never stops. If you are going to be good at it, the hard will continue over a lifetime."
As it has been many years since the general went through pilot training, the chance to be able to see the pilot training mission at work at Columbus was inspiring. "It will be fulfilling to me to see the crew concept being taught at this level of pilot training. To see pilots being taught not only how to manage a mission but to manage a crew at the same time. And also run the electronic displays and the automation that you have in the T-1," said General Anderson.