388th FW commander reveals important concepts for wing

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Stefanie Torres
  • 388th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah --  With 22 years of service as a fighter pilot in the Air Force, Col. Scott Dennis, the 388th Fighter Wing commander, imparts three important concepts to the wing; 1) Own the mission; 2) Make each day your finestl hour as you serve your country; and 3) Make the wing better. 

The commander took lead of the 388th July 30, during an assumption of command ceremony after returning from a year-long tour at Balad Air Base, Iraq. 

During his time as the 332nd Expeditionary Operations Group commander at Balad, he was given the opportunity to meet and work beside 388th FW members before coming to Hill Air Force Base. 

"I was able to see the 421st Fighter Squadron in combat. Pride and excellence were characteristics I remember," said Colonel Dennis. 

His impression of Hill AFB Airmen is not too different from what he noticed during deployments. "Everywhere I go I see smiles and pride in what we are doing. This is an overall great base environment." 

"Additionally, I've never seen a better relationship with our surrounding community," he said. 

With everything running smoothly and with a "wing in great shape", Colonel Dennis is already planning to navigate the challenges ahead. "Part of the greatness of the 388th is the tradition of constant improvement, I look forward to joining this team as we take the wing to a higher place," he said. 

The wing will have to be flexible and evolve in order to deploy for more than 400 days with back-to-back deployments in the coming year. 

"The Air Force is continuing to fight the war on terror, which I expect will take unexpected turns as we move forward; Airmen uniquely contribute by fighting today while preparing for potential future conflicts," explains Colonel Dennis. "To meet this continuing OPSTEMPO challenge, Airmen will have to take care of each other." 

Colonel Dennis wants to see efforts made to maintain stability and balance at the home front while servicemembers are away. "I want to ensure a sense of normalcy and balance for families at home," he said. "We are only as good as our home situation so reducing the turmoil for them when home from between AEF deployments is important."
Preparations at home are very important to a successful deployed experience, the commander explains. 

"All the preparations before leaving will show how well we take care of each other and our families," he said. "What makes us unique as an Air Force is our service to our country and to each other." 

Colonel Dennis offers a "big picture direction" for the wing. "I am a big supporter of empowering Airmen. We are most effective when folks own the processes and do their jobs as they think best. Senior enlisted advisors are central to this working properly in an organization because they have the knowledge and experience required to bring everything together," he said. 

Even with a busy calendar, the colonel has a strong sense of family time. "I am a husband and father to my family first. But I am an Air Force officer honored to serve this country and be a part of this team," he said. 

Colonel Dennis' expectations for Airmen across the wing are to live and breathe the Air Force core values. "We are a country at war. Remember why you joined the service and what the 388th FW has done in support of this country," he said. 

No doubt that excellence is a priority for the commander. "Let's live up to America's expectations for us and work every day to make the next day better," he said. 

He leaves these words of faith in each other as he continues to lead the wing during his tenure here. "We are Airmen together."