Monster spotted on Edwards Air Force Base

  • Published
  • By James Stossel
  • 412th Test Wing Public Affairs
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  

Members of the Edwards Air Force Base family gathered to take part in an age-old military ceremony July 29 as Col. Thomas Tauer assumed command of Edwards and the 412th Test Wing from Brig. Gen. Douglas Wickert.

Tauer, whose callsign is Monster, is a 2003 graduate of the Air Force Academy and most recently served as deputy commander of the 96th Test Wing at Eglin AFB, Florida.


Maj. Gen. Scott Cain, Air Force Test Center commander, welcomes Col. Thomas Tauer as the 412th Test Wing commander July 29. (Photo by Brandon Hernandez)

Maj. Gen. Scott Cain, commander of the Air Force Test Center, presided over the change of command ceremony while several hundred Airmen, Air Force civilians, family members and elected officials looked on. Just before passing the wing flag from Wickert to Tauer, Cain highlighted the 412th Test Wing's recent accomplishments under Wickert’s leadership, especially in a world facing increasingly complex and diverse threats.

“Edwards AFB is a symbol of American ingenuity,” said Cain. “The future of airpower is in your hands.”

Tauer and Team Edwards are now opening a new era of experimental technologies at Edwards, including manned and unmanned platforms. For example, the wing is already preparing to test collaborative combat aircraft and the F-47 next-generation air dominance fighter.

“I’m excited to lead this team through the development, test and evaluation of our nation’s most important programs,” said Tauer. “When you look at the portfolio of programs the 412th Test Wing is responsible for, it's clear that we hold the keys to maintaining America's technological edge and ensuring our forces have every advantage when they need it.”

"The threats to our nation are real, and 340 million Americans are counting on us to deliver capabilities that will deter war. But should deterrence fail, our actions here will be the reason why we win – and win decisively. Should deterrence fail, you will be the heroes of the story.”

Col. Tom Tauer, 412th Test Wing commander

No stranger to the test community nor Edwards, Tauer is a graduate of the Air Force Test Pilot School and a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency fellow with several tours as a test pilot and as a unit and functional commander. He hasn’t been back to Edwards since he graduated TPS in 2014, but he’s “excited to return during such a pivotal time for our test enterprise.”

“My family is also excited to be here again,” said Tauer following Tuesday’s change of command ceremony. “Many of our lifelong friends are people that we met during our first assignment here.”

When asked about activities he enjoys during time off, Tauer said, “I like firing up my charcoal smoker and just spending time with family and friends. When we have time to take leave, we love to travel.”

Entering his second tour at Edwards, Tauer now commands a wing of nearly 8,000 professionals testing and evaluating a wide variety of American airpower platforms, including the B-21 Raider, B-2 Spirit, B-1 Lancer and B-52 Stratofortress family of bombers; KC-46 Pegasus and KC-135 Stratotanker multirole aerial refueling and cargo aircraft; C-17 Globemaster III cargo aircraft; F-22 Raptor, F-35 Lightning II and F-16 Fighting Falcon fighters; and the T-7A Red Hawk trainer.


Col. Thomas Tauer, 412th Test Wing commander, speaks to the ceremony attendees July 29. (Photo by Brandon Hernandez)

As installation commander for both Edwards and Plant 42, Tauer is responsible for base operations that support approximately 27,000 military members and their families, federal employees, and defense industrial base contractors.

When asked about the journey that brought him to achieve wing command, Tauer flashed his easy-going smile and said, “I’m very thankful for all the experiences I’ve had throughout my career that have prepared me for this moment.”

“Flying with my first operational squadron, the 13th Fighter Squadron in Misawa, Japan, is one that stands out. While in that unit, we deployed for Operation Iraqi Freedom. The opportunity to directly participate in combat operations gave me a new perspective on the seriousness of our profession. It’s not a job, it’s a calling.

“Leading a flight test squadron as a squadron commander was also a formative moment for me. Squadrons are where the rubber hits the road. Decisions you make as a commander are almost immediately felt. Being trusted with the lives of Airmen makes the mission feel personal.”

His tenure at Edwards will not be without both mission and people challenges. Tauer is taking over an organization with an exponentially expanding workload, but a workforce that has recently shrunk due to reductions in civilian employees across the entire federal government. Unlike most bases, because of its unique test mission, four out of five Edwards employees are civilians. While no one has been forced out, retirements and deferred resignations have had a greater impact on the test mission at Edwards and other Air Force Materiel Command bases than at other Air Force bases. 

At the same time, new platforms like F-47 and CCA, along with other experimental initiatives, require hundreds of skilled and experienced engineers, mechanics, maintenance technicians and project managers of all disciplines that are hard to recruit and cannot be homegrown overnight. With the American economy booming, competition for those skilled employees is intense, so it is safe to say that people and programmatic scheduling will require a significant amount of Tauer’s attention.

“I know we are in the midst of immense change across our Air Force,” Tauer said. “I hope to provide clarity of purpose that will help our team navigate the changes and stay focused on what matters most.”

During his ceremony remarks, Tauer provided a brief glimpse into the flavor of his tenure as commander and said he intends to follow through with many of Wickert’s initiatives. “I’m a big believer that people are our most important asset. The team of patriots assembled here is one of the most uniquely talented in the world. We not only serve warfighters by developing, testing and evaluating war-winning capabilities, but we are warfighters, deployed around the world, flying, fighting and winning.

“Focusing on warriors, testers and families is not a compromise of mission," Tauer said. "I value our team precisely because our mission has never been more important. These are turbulent times. While the skies over Edwards Air Force Base may look clear today, storm clouds are building. The threats to our nation are real, and 340 million Americans are counting on us to deliver capabilities that will deter war. But should deterrence fail, our actions here will be the reason why we win – and win decisively. Should deterrence fail, you will be the heroes of the story.”

An avid reader, Tauer recommends for any Airman The Culture Code by Daniel Coyle. "It changed the way I think about how leaders can shape culture within their organizations. Measure What Matters by John Doerr is also a great book to help you think through what really matters most for you and your organization. And Team of Teams by General Stanley McChrystal changed the way I think about communication within and across organizations."

With that, Tauer ushered us out of his office with his trademark closing phrase, “Now, let’s get to work.”


Col. Thomas Tauer, commander of the 412th Test Wing, and Chief Master Sgt. Joshua Skarloken, command chief master sergeant of the 412th Test Wing, congratulate graduates of Airman Leadership School Class 25-F. (Photo by Brandon Hernandez)