Scott bids farewell to the Almands Published June 6, 2013 By Karen Petitt 375th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- After just one year on the job as commander for the 375th Air Mobility Wing, Col. David Almand and his family are packing for their 14th move; this time to Joint Base Andrews, Md., where he'll take the reins as wing commander for the 89th Airlift Wing. The 89th AW is a presidential, congressional and senior leader airlift support unit where they fly the VC-25A, C-20B, C-32A, C-37A and C-40B. Almand's change of command is set for June 14 at 10 a.m. at the parade field where Col. Kyle Kremer, the current vice commander at McConnell AFB, Kan., will step into the role as the new wing commander here. Despite the whirlwind assignment here, the Almands said they feel like they've planted roots here, have enjoyed the great community support and have met "some of the best people you'd want to know." Cathy Almand, his wife, said she was pleased with how fast and easily their children, Travis and Lance, fit right in and made so many friends. She attributes that to their mobility lifestyle and the conscience choices they made to get involved and enjoy what the area has to offer. "We learned awhile ago that you have to force yourself to take advantage of every free moment to go explore and enjoy the area where you're assigned, otherwise before you know it...it's time to go and you won't have time to see what you wanted." And, while they got involved with many activities, she said the thing she will miss the most will be the people whom she has met. "I wish we could pack up all the friends we've made and take them with us to our next assignment! Wouldn't that be great?" She said it's been her involvement with the spouses clubs here that have brought some of her most cherished friendships and has been the conduit for much of her service opportunities in her position as the commander's spouse. She encourages more spouses to be involved so they can network, contribute to the quality of life at the base, and make new friends. "I've not always been involved with the spouses organizations ... I didn't think they were for me, but as circumstances change, so have my roles and associations within these groups that support our military members and their families in unique ways," she said. She complimented the groups here for combining the officer and enlisted spouses groups into one organization and said she was impressed with how that was decided and implemented. In addition, through the Spouses Club she learned about the 'Associate Wives'--a group of women and widows of Vietnam-era military members--and said some of her good friends are the older women in these groups. "I love that these women are wise ... funny ... and say exactly what's on their minds! In the process, I've learned to be a more assertive communicator. I've also learned that I needed to carve out time for myself each day in order to be better at serving those around me. As such, I've set aside time to exercise and read each day, and I find I can actually do more in a day when I do that." The colonel agreed and said in every assignment the mission can be challenging, but rewarding, and that the lasting memories come from those he's worked with every day to accomplish the mission. "I couldn't have asked for a better team to work with," he said. "We've met each challenge head on, whether it was with our inspections, crisis response, training or forging our way through budget and manning shortfalls. In each instance, people volunteered and went out of their way to fix any issue. I am humbled by their willingness to jump right in and their outstanding teamwork." During his time he encouraged people to work hard, but also to have fun, and they've demonstrated they can do both. From prepping for an Operational Readiness Inspection (which was later cancelled, however the wing did receive ORI credit for all of its prep work) to responding to flash flooding and "thundersnows" and tornadic weather, to finding ways to operate under severe budget cuts and impending civilian furloughs, the wing has "outperformed, outserved and outshined." "Our mission and vision provides focus for our daily efforts and it provides a clear way ahead for our planning: "375 Mission: Enable Team Scott mission execution, provide mission ready Airmen and capabilities, develop and care for Airmen and their families, while fostering base and community partnerships. "375 Vision: Be the Air Force's premier mission execution and support platform. We will streamline operations, integrate with mission and community partners, and modernize capabilities and infrastructure; achieving success by training and developing Airmen with the highest professional standards grounded in a culture of integrity, service and excellence. "I feel like we've taken to heart the action verbs: enable, provide, develop and foster. Those are the things we do each day for Team Scott and for our nation. Even in just a short year, we've worked to make our vision a reality with our objectives to streamline, transform, integrate, train and develop, while staying grounded in a professional Airman culture. "We've initiated leadership forums and have also worked to streamline meetings to make them purposeful and less often as needed. I trust that those left behind will continue to refine that work, and I trust that you all will continue to give Colonel Kremer that same level of energy, enthusiasm and dedication. "Thank you for your service, your support and your trust. The missions here a varied and vast, and together we provide a tremendous service to or nation. It's been my honor to command this wing and to support these critical missions. No matter where we go, we will always have fond memories of our time here and carry Scott AFB in our hearts." To view the event program, click here.