General Nolan praises base workers at Commander's Call - 'I cannot thank you enough'

  • Published
  • By Kate Blais
  • 95th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  In front of a packed house at his first Commander's Call on March 11 at the Base Theater, Brig. Gen. Robert C. Nolan II, Air Force Flight Test Center commander, praised base workers for their hard work and dedication in support of the Air Force mission.

The general addressed base military personnel, civilians and contractors and touched upon topics such as safety, mission and future operations. But the common theme intertwined throughout his message, was people.

"I've been here just shy now of six months, and I wanted to have a Commander's Call basically to say 'thank you' to the men and women of the Air Force Flight Test Center and all the tenant units that are located here with us that do our great mission on behalf of the United States," General Nolan said. "Thank you for the sacrifices you make every day to make sure the men and women that are executing combat operations on the other side of the world are supported."

There are currently 450,000 men and women in uniform deployed overseas, 150,000 of which are in harm's way in Iraq and Afghanistan. Of those currently deployed, 106 represent Team Edwards. The general said the Air Force has 10 percent of its force engaged in combat, while Edwards is sacrificing 5 percent of its military men and women in combat operations overseas.

"I want you all to understand the magnitude of our commitment," the general said, "yet we do our combat mission every day here at the Air Force Flight Test Center. The mission that you do here directly supports those [deployed] men and women."

In spite of what he referred to as "lots of moving parts," General Nolan stressed the importance of safety among Edwards personnel, both on- and off-base. He highlighted statistics including the fact that it is 10 times more likely to be killed in an off-duty accident, than being injured on-duty.

While at work, employees have numerous precautions to follow to keep everyone safe, but that "we forget to do those things when we go home or participate in recreational activities. We need to carry that [safety] culture forward so we don't end up as a statistic."

The biggest safety hazards are speed and losing control on the road.

"There are no speed limit signs on base that say 80," said General Nolan, garnering some laughs from the audience. But in a serious tone added, "That's reckless driving and you should not be in that kind of a hurry."

From workplace and personal safety, the general switched gears to address the Edwards mission and its accomplishments. He made it clear that there are certain mission aspects that the base must concentrate on even in a "fiscally constrained environment."

"We already have commitments to our customers, and we need to honor those commitments and deliver as promised," General Nolan said. "We need to preserve for this nation the core capability of testing in the Air Force."

Developing a plan to "recruit and retain" intellectual capital and fostering brainpower, will lead to preserving our ability to continue the mission, he said.

The general asked the question, "Is flight testing in danger of going away?"

"I say no," he answered.

According to General Nolan, the base was originally supposed to receive only four developmental F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, but is now on track to receive nine. The majority of mission systems testing for the aircraft will be done here on base. In addition to ongoing F-35 testing, the Air Force is projected to develop a new tanker, new trainer and new bomber in the next 10 years.

"Where are they going to do that work?" asked the general. "At Edwards Air Force Base."

General Nolan credited the 95th Air Base Wing with helping to maintain quality of life on base for the 14,000 individuals who work and live here.

"We cannot do our mission without the support of this incredible wing," he said. "We have the best family housing in the United States Air Force because of the 95th Air Base Wing."

The general did not avoid the unavoidable subject of physical fitness. He addressed it in a category all by itself.

"If you're wearing a uniform, you cannot escape the PT [physical fitness] test any longer," said General Nolan. "In order for you to execute the mission, the Air Force says you have to be physically fit."

From the generals to airmen basic, everybody is expected to test, as it is an integrated part of Air Force culture. The general advised his Airmen to set goals on the top line of each component of the PT test saying, "If your plan is to make the minimum, and you fall short, you fail."

The general concluded his Commander's Call with the future in mind. Although budgets have been cut throughout the government, spending resources wisely and using natural resources, like sunlight, to provide electrical power will help the base continue to "do what we need to do," the general said.

"We cannot do this mission without smiling faces, without intellectual capital and without commitment," said General Nolan. "There's history being made at Edwards Air Force Base every day, and we can be very proud of that lineage and heritage."