An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

"The Real McCoy"

  • Published
  • By Monte Miller
  • 375th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. --  Scott AFB welcomes the commander of the Air Force Global Logistics Support Center, Maj. Gen. Gary T. McCoy. General McCoy comes to Scott from the Pentagon where he served as the Director of Logistics Readiness. 

Where are you from? 

I grew up in the small town of Chester, S.C. I was raised by my great-grandparents who were in actuality my mom and dad. My mom took care of me and the house. She was the disciplinarian and ensured my head stayed in the books ... I credit her with giving me strong values, strong faith and a sense of direction. 

My dad was a share cropper ... a farmer. I will not claim to know much about farming, but being raised by a farmer taught me the meaning of hard work, patience and sacrifice. He taught me so many things and ensured I learned the patience it takes to plant things and watch them grow. 

Growing a new organization, like the AFGLSC, is very much like farming. The job does not end when the seeds are planted. It requires hard work, commitment, and patience to nurture our organization to maturity. That is exactly what we are doing in the AFGLSC--growing a new organization to feed the Air Force's huge and expanding appetite for global logistics support. 

Family? 

I'm married to an absolutely wonderful Air Force wife who is very supportive and enjoys being a part of the Air Force. Each place we go, she is very involved. We are very blessed to have three children, two of whom are in college and one who is in junior high. I also have immediate and extended family all around the world. I feel very lucky and blessed to have a large Air Force family. 

I have learned after being in the Air Force this amount of time that every where you go, you have the opportunity to add new family members. Many of the friends who I consider my Air Force family are the ones who took an interest in me early in my career and have mentored me over the years. They made and continue to make an investment in me. I am constantly driven to never let them down. Other family members are those I have been stationed with or met at some point throughout my 30 plus years.
What are your thoughts of Scott Air Force Base? 

Scott is a new base for me. I've been TDY to Scott a few times but it's been mostly land, go to a meeting, get on the airplane and leave. When I received my assignment notification I began to ask others who have been stationed here about the base and community. Without exception, everyone said you will like Scott. 

I drove through the front gates of Scott with a most favorable impression and that impression continues to get better every moment. There is a spirit of hospitality and support that is visible everywhere. I have met with most of the senior leaders on base and their only questions to me have been: "What can we do to help you and what can we do to help your organization?" I am already adding new members to my Air Force family.
When it comes to assignments, my philosophy is simple: A base or assignment is only as good as you make it. We are proud and honored to be here and to be a part of Team Scott, both personally and professionally. 

Why did you join the Air Force? 

When I was in the third grade, I remember vividly being told by the principal that we would be getting a special visitor. The visitor was an Army Green Beret from my community. As he stood there in that classroom and talked to us little kids, he looked like he was seven-feet tall and had the biggest, shiniest boots I had ever seen. The creases in his uniform, the ribbons on his chest, the devices and ropes he wore proudly got all of our attention and we knew we were in the midst of a hero. 

I knew I wanted to be one of those. 

As I grew closer to my high school graduation, I began to hone in on the fact that the Air Force offered the opportunities and the kind of service I would like to be a part of, so it was an easy choice for me. 

I originally wanted to fly airplanes, and when I did not get a pilot's slot I was disappointed. But fortunately, a caring senior officer mentored me on the opportunities that would ultimately shape my career. That officer was my base commander, who just happened to be a logistician, and later became a two-star general. He told me to learn to "play the card you have been dealt, be the best at whatever you do, and don't forget that everyone in the Air Force is critical to the mission." That was a defining moment in my life. 

Did you ever think you would become a general officer? 

Believe it or not, my first concern when I joined was if could make it through basic training. I was driven because I didn't want to come back home and face my friends and family without that Air Force uniform on. Anything less than that would be unacceptable.
Since those early days, I've been blessed with many challenging assignments and some great leaders mentoring me along the way. I applied the lessons of my youth to each opportunity and worked hard to get the mission done while developing lasting relationships with the people around me. 

Time has gone by so quickly. I remember driving past the Pentagon as a young lieutenant wondering if I could ever even visit there let alone work there. Now I've served three tours at the Pentagon. That is why I tell others to dream, dream big and do what it takes to make those dreams reality. 

What would you say to young officers with aspirations to your rank? 

I feel it is my duty and responsibility to be a mentor to young airmen, officers and civilians. 

I tell them to work hard and never let the day end without learning something new. I stress the importance of investing in education, the value of hard work and the fulfillment of serving in the world's greatest Air Force. 

I also let them know that it will not be easy. Anything important takes dedication, commitment, and sacrifice. I tell them that life is not always fair. . . and you may face challenges and roadblocks. But never give up, never quit, never stop pursuing your goals and aspirations. And don't forget to help others along the way. 

What is the role of the Air Force Global Logistics Support Center in the grand scheme of today's Air Force? 

The Air Force Global Logistics Support Center is responsible for managing the Air Force Supply Chain. We deliver spare parts. . . and will eventually have responsibility for other classes of supplies like equipment, vehicles, fuel, clothing and munitions. But what we actually deliver is combat capability. 

We are a global Air Force. Our job is to make sure we are supporting the warfighter during peacetime and in war. Put very simply, our job is to know who needs logistics, when they need it, where they need it and how much they need. Our job is to anticipate, forecast, plan and deliver. In order to accomplish this mission we are composed of three functional areas: Planning and Execution, Operations, and Strategy and Integration. 

We are transforming logistics to lean forward and ensure we fully support our operations from day one. This means moving from a reactive philosophy, where we wait for customer requirements, toward predictive logistics, where we are delivering assets to the point of need before they are requested. For example, when an aircraft maintainer goes to the shelf looking for a part, the correct part is there waiting for him, every time, anywhere in the world. Ultimately, our goal is to be the Air Force's one stop shop for logistics. 

We have to figure out what our customer demands are going to be anywhere in the world and put the commodities in the proper places. We work with our maintenance and operations community to ensure we know what is being planned and what kind of mission we will need to support. We are a vital part of our warfighting capability. As one writer put it, the difference between a click and a bang is logisticians. 

In the AFGLSC, we are perfecting our forecasting and planning processes to fully support our customers around the world as they perform dynamic missions in some of the most challenging and austere locations. We have about 4,300 people located at seven bases executing this mission every day. These individuals are assigned to wings at Scott and Tinker Air Force Bases and one direct reporting group at Wright-Patterson AFB. We are a growth industry, ever expanding and always evolving. 

I'm fortunate to be one of the people that sat down three years ago to develop the concept for the AFGLSC. For many at that time, the whole idea seemed impossible and many thought that even if we could pull this off, it would be a 10 to 15 year plan. We were able to go from a concept development to activation in less than three years. I'm honored to be part of the initial group and I am indeed proud to be the commander of this great organization. 

I have a team of tremendously talented experts that know how to deliver. I want to be sure we continue to grow and develop our workforce, insert new technology, maintain a clear focus and direction, and be fully prepared to fight and win our nations war. 

I look forward to serving our nation and Air Force for many years to come. I still get a thrill when I put on the uniform, when I see the excitement in the eyes of our young troops, when I travel to the AOR and see the great work our people are doing and the sacrifices they are making. 

I suppose you can say that young kid from Chester, has been able to become a part of something real special ... 

I have been able to proudly serve our great nation and the greatest Air Force in the world. For that I am very grateful, very humbled and very blessed.