Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Ken Wilsbach, his wife, Mrs. Cindy Wilsbach, Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force David Wolfe, and his wife, Dr. Doniel Wolfe, visited Vance Air Force Base, home of the 71st Flying Training Wing, April 15.
Vance was one of two stops at pilot training bases in Oklahoma.
After a Wing Mission Brief, Wilsbach met with instructor and student pilots over lunch at the Crosswinds Club while the chief had lunch with NCOs and senior NCOs.
Wilsbach discussed the future of pilot training, innovations in curriculum and emphasized the "Fly and Fix" concepts of maintaining a ready force.
"The most important thing we do in the United States Air Force is fly and fix. And of those things fix is more important, because when you fix, then you can fly," Wilsbach said. "That's exactly what you're doing here."
Wolfe talked with the enlisted at lunch about how the Air Force's strength comes from rigorous discipline and that daily, often unseen, actions are "gold medal performances". He advocated for a "winning mindset" that chooses to solve problems and overcome challenges, rather than just identifying them.
"Innovation can only happen when there is trust," Wolfe said. "You build trust by being reliable, by doing the basics right and by being competent at your job."
Following lunch, both Wilsbach and Wolfe met with Vance AFB Airmen for an All Call in the Armed Forces Reserve Center on base to discuss the future of the Air Force and the changing requirements of 21st Century warfare in the sky.
They emphasized at the All Call the importance in every career field for readiness, modernization and innovation so the Air Force can continue flying and fixing in order to deter any adversary.
Following the All Call, Wilsbach joined Vance AFB's senior leaders to discuss the current training programs for delivering new pilots. Of special interest is the program that sends new students to civilian aviation schools for basic aviation training before stepping to the T-6A Texan II at Vance AFB.
The Chief of Staff toured the flying training squadrons and received an orientation on virtual reality and immersive training to better understand how technology is leveraged to train the nations pilots.
He was also briefed on the proposed "Fighter/Bomber fundamentals" curriculum, for preparing new pilots for the tactical arm of the Air Force.
After lunch, Wolfe visited the Vance AFB control tower which oversees more than 55,000 sorties each year. He went hands on with the tower training simulator where Airmen learn the challenging skill of maintaining safe traffic patterns for student pilots.
Escorted by Vance AFB's command chief, Chief Master Sgt. Harvey McReynolds, Wolfe saw firsthand the military housing available at Vance AFB, discussing with housing officials the challenges faced by Air Force families.
Wolfe wrapped up his Vance AFB visit with a meeting with first sergeants from the Wing and Medical Group in the Professional Development Center.
"Go find somebody to help," Wolfe expressed. "we've got all the friends we need right here-we just have to activate that network"
Finalizing their visit at Vance AFB, Wilsbach, Wolfe and their wives boarded a C-40B aircraft for the short trip to Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma, continuing along the path of many newly graduated pilots.
