Col. Goldstone bids farewell to Scott Published June 17, 2010 By Karen Petitt 375th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- The 375th Air Mobility Wing has come a long way since Aug. 18, 2008. That's when Col. Gary P. Goldstone took command of what was then the 375th Airlift Wing. Since then, there've been reorganizations, inspections, construction, natural disaster responses, and air shows. There've been award ceremonies, promotions, retirements, competitions, and recognitions. There've also been horses and skate parks, teen dances and ball games, mud runs and cookie deliveries. Colonel Goldstone has been able to exceed the demands of commanding a wing on a base with 31 tenant units--to include several major headquarter elements--and balance family time with his wife, Mary, and two children, Garrett and Danielle, because, as he likes to say, "we're all in." And that's exactly what the Goldstones have been these past two years. "We've had the honor and privilege of serving the Airmen and their families at what I truly consider one of the best places to live and work--Scott Air Force Base," he said. "When I say 'we're all in,' I mean that we understand what it means to be part of this great Air Force. We know what it means--and what it takes--to serve our country. It's a commitment to the Air Force and to each other that makes being part of this Air Force family so rewarding. "We're lucky to have children who are supportive and happy to be part of all the activities and events at Scott. As they get older, they understand more deeply the reasons why we do what we do. I have a great family, and they've been a huge part of making the past two years a total success." The Goldstones are preparing to leave for Washington, D.C., where the colonel will serve on the Headquarters Air Force staff as Chief of the Global Mobility Division, working the programming process for the USAF's Mobility Air Forces and Search and Rescue platforms. They're going back to a home they had during their previous assignment in the D.C. area, and Mary said, "It's bittersweet, as we are leaving behind many of the wonderful friends we have made here at Team Scott and with the Greater Scott communities.'" She said that not having an Air Force Base close by will be another adjustment for the entire family. "We have always enjoyed living on base and our experience here at Scott was a reminder of how truly lucky we are to be part of such a wonderful family team ... our USAF and sister services. "There are some things a commander's spouse is certainly asked or expected to do, but I will tell you that everything I've done here has been because I wanted to be involved, and I enjoyed doing it," she said. "We've included our kids in everything we could, and we've become friends with so many wonderful people. We have enjoyed being together throughout this journey, and we've just soaked in the wonderful community support that is showered on our Airmen and their families here. It's remarkable and as we prepare to PCS, we know that the great support for Team Scott will continue." Colonel Goldstone's initial priority for the wing when he arrived was to ensure there were processes in place that were repeatable and sustainable so that the mission could be performed by every person at every level. He said if he were to grade that effort, he'd give it an A-. "Building the wing's strategy map and ensuring our mission focused on those essential elements serves as the backbone for our successes here. It provides the framework to attach our processes to. I talk to Airmen, and they know their roles and responsibilities and have proven their outstanding capabilities during our Operational Readiness Inspection, our response to the Haiti relief effort, and on a daily basis for our DV and aeromedical evacuation missions. Our Airmen have also proven to be outstanding with providing support to our Team Scott customers and in being combat ready for our wartime missions. They prove that we 'Enable Combat Power' every day!" he said. During his time here, the wing received Excellent ratings not only for the ORI, but also for the Logistics Standardization and Evaluation Program, Unit Compliance Inspection, Health Services Inspection and the Air Traffic System Evaluation Program--all critical in maintaining the war readiness and fitness of the wing and its Airmen. Air Mobility Command headquarters also recognized the communications group, logistics readiness team, security forces members, the dining facility, chapel and dental staff for their superior work. The Air Force lauded the base library as the USAF's best in 2009 for its efforts. The wing oversaw the construction of 90 projects totaling more than $200 million and deployed 3,300 combat-ready Airmen worldwide. As a key AE hub, the wing conducted 1,400 medevac flights to bring home wounded warriors and support for Operation Unified Response in Haiti. Total Force Integration efforts were already established with the 932nd Airlift Wing (Reserve) to execute the worldwide DV mission with the C-40 aircraft. Last year brought about another TFI partnership with the 126th Air Refueling Wing (Guard) to perform aerial refueling missions aboard the KC-135. This addition to the mission of the 375th brought about the wing's re-designation from the 375th Airlift Wing to the 375th Air Mobility Wing. Those who know the commander know that he is focused on the mission first and always. And critical to that mission are the families and spouses of every Airman and every mission partner at Team Scott. One area in particular that both he and Mary focused on was supporting the families and the Key Spouse program. "Key Spouses serve as a critical link for commander's to connect with their Airmen and families, and help ensure families know how to navigate and understand the numerous programs and benefits available to them," said Colonel Goldstone. "Mary and I both felt it was important to ensure that we are all connecting with each other, and we're fortunate to have seen a significant increase in participation from about 20 to 120 across the installation. We hope that the enthusiasm continues for this effort, because we've seen not only a difference in what it's done in our own family, but also for many others as well." As a dad, he's also been involved with teen and pre-teen activities on base and even helped to bring a skate park to the Youth Center because of the interest and funding from the Year of the Air Force Family initiative. A true kid at heart, he channeled his "childhood" as he hosted the famous Budweiser Clydesdale horses and was honored to drive the carriage around base, among many other events such as throwing out the first pitch at a Cardinals game and taking every opportunity to reach out and connect with the youth at a variety of events. While there have been many accomplishments and fun events, he said some of his proudest moments as commander have been when Airmen and Team Scott members have done well. "Those are the best times ... when your Airmen just shine! They overcome challenges, they fix problems, and they get creative with solutions! They step up to volunteer and make things happen at work and in our communities. Our military is made up of superstars, and I see that every day! We (as leaders) are entrusted with an incredible amount of responsibility toward them, their families and the American public. The decisions we make as leaders must be what's best for them and for our nation, and that responsibility is not taken lightly." He said the responsibility of command is a tremendous privilege, and that he's been "honored to serve as your commander. I take this responsibility seriously. A very distinct reminder of our calling and service to our nation was brought into absolute clear focus when we rendered honor and respect to well over 70 fallen heroes who have either transited Scott AFB or arrived here as their final destination in their somber journey home. Each one has been a time of reflection and a reminder for me of the seriousness of our call, the need to be trained well, and the dangers we all face as we serve in harm's way." After the change of command ceremony, slated for June 25 at 10 a.m., he said he's packing his family up and heading down the road for some "R&R." He will have said his goodbyes, but for people in the military, it's really "see you again soon." Until then, "Air Power... and thank you for Enabling Combat Power!"