From Readiness to Housing, Test CC Casts Wide Net Published March 19, 2026 By Mike Paoli 412th Test Wing Public Affairs Office EDWARD AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Col. Tom Tauer, 412th Test Wing commander, talks combat readiness, mission urgency, childcare, housing and other topics during the 412th TW commanders call March 11. (Photo by Brandon Hernandez) Combat readiness and mission urgency. Childcare, on-base housing, schools funding and on-base amenities and service hours. The April 13-17 unit effectiveness inspection. The wing’s mission and vision, mission growth and program prioritization. All these were among a broad swath of topics discussed during the 412th Test Wing commanders call March 11. Acting in late February on mounting tensions in Central Command’s area of responsibility, Col. Tom Tauer, 412th TW commander, tasked group commanders to complete within a week’s time pre-deployment training for more than 350 wing Airmen. “We finished up that training on the 27th of February, and in the early morning hours of the 28th of February Operation Epic Fury started,” said Tauer. “Thank you to all the people who are in Charlie phase who took it seriously and got it done,” Tauer told the standing-room-only crowd in the base theater. Charlie is the “ready” phase within the Air Force Generation deployment bands. He also thanked the Security Forces combat arms training and maintenance team for “awesome” work in facilitating multiple firing range training opportunities, the 812th Civil Engineer Squadron for adding additional chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear training sessions, the Medical Group for train-the-trainer engagements on tactical combat casualty care, and members across the wing who took on additional work load. “If you wear a uniform, readiness is our burden,” said Tauer. “But our reward is getting to wear the uniform.” “We already have Airmen deployed to the [Air Forces Central] theater,” said Chief Master Sgt. Josh Skarloken, 412th TW command chief master sergeant. “A lot of them have already been extended and there’s a potential for more to go.” Potential also exists to have aircraft pulled from the test mission to fill operational needs and to have test programs accelerated in response to the Iran conflict, Skarloken said. During the deployment exercise, some Airmen may have fired weapons, experienced mission oriented protective posture level 4, or MOPP 4, conditions and applied medical care in the field for the first time since basic training, Skarloken said. “But the only way we can control anything is to practice,” he said. “So, we practice to get ready, be ready and stay sharp, because the first time we use these skills shouldn’t be when were against an enemy.” Chief Master Sgt. Josh Skarloken, 412th Test Wing command chief master sergeant. (Photo by Brandon Hernandez) Skarloken urged the audience to consider the diverse range of assists currently employed against Iran, and in doing so to take away a sense of pride. “At some point everyone in this room has worked on, touched or done something with one of these platforms,” he said. “You’ve flown them, you’ve fixed them, you’ve refueled them, you’ve guarded them. Medics have probably fixed someone up who banged their head on the tail. You’ve cut orders. “And whether you’ve done it here or touched them at another base, you are the main reason these capabilities exist that enable us to dominate our adversaries,” Skarloken said. Tauer then transitioned the briefing focus “from bombs to babies.” During his Back in the Saddle Day remarks in January, Tauer announced 91 deficiencies identified by the Air Force Services Center in the base’s School Age Care and Child Development Center programs. Of those, Tauer said 87 had been corrected. “That’s still four too many, but I expect to be greened up by the end of March,” he said. He said resolving the deficiencies, however, was not a long-term solution for fixing systemic conditions. “Key to the enduring solution is getting the right people hired and making sure people are trained,” he said. In a move to address both challenges simultaneously, Tauer announced the recent on-boarding of Kaila Gill to fill the three-year vacant CDC director position. Gill is a career childcare and development leader with unique expertise in training. Additionally, two of three training and curriculum positions are now filled, and six candidates have been identified for 11 management vacancies. Transitioning to quality of life, Tauer said, “I think we have a housing crisis here,” and later noted the disappointing long-term hold decision by Mayroad on building privatized apartments on base. “Edwards is unique,” he said, and the housing challenge will increase as the wing takes on near-term mission growth and receives the associated “hundreds of additional military members.” One solution he announced is reduction of the base key and essential list, which guarantees base housing for those on the list, from 62 to 16. Another is designation of 10 temporary lodging facility units for use as Test Pilot School student dorms, freeing up 20 additional homes. Leaders are also looking at converting 45 additional TLF units to commercial on-base lodging. Other bridging solutions include modular dorms, modular housing and construction of 400 to 500-square-foot “tiny homes” as part of the on-going fam camp expansion. Leasing portions of land along base boundaries to commercial developers is also being actively explored to provide housing to unaccompanied and accompanied military members and civilian employees. Tauer wrapped up his brief with a sobering appeal to mission culture. “Frankly, there are other adversaries that we are also focused on right now, adversaries more capable than those in Iran, and adversaries that would just as soon see all our airplanes, our Airmen, our ships and our sailors at the bottom of the ocean. And the only thing standing between them and their goals is the capabilities we’re developing here. “I sat in a seat somewhere out there many years ago,” Tauer told the audience, “and had a commander stand up here and say … ‘There’s nothing happening at Edwards today that can’t be done tomorrow.’ “It’s a good safety message … and we were in a different environment back then,” Tauer said. “I would amend that statement today. “I would say there is nothing we’re doing at Edwards today that can’t be done tomorrow but tomorrow might be too late.” Channeling the sense of urgency flowing throughout the test enterprise, Tauer said, “The programs we’re supporting are increasingly empowered to hold schedule as a fixed entity, and our mandate is to inject as much value into those programs as we can in the time allotted.”