With a month of command of the 14th Flying Training Wing under his belt, Col. Douglas “Gos” Gosney met with the Base Community Council to lay out some goals for his time at Columbus Air Force Base.
Gosney received command of the 14th FTW late last month after former commander Col. John “Boris” Nichols finished his assignment at the base and left to serve at Barksdale Air Force Base in Shreveport, Louisiana.
During the luncheon, Gosney shared the same things he told CAFB’s airmen earlier in the day. He said he will maintain CAFB’s mission — produce pilots, advance airmen and feed the fight.
“I like it,” he said. “I think it’s a clear and concise communication for what we do here at Columbus Air Force Base, and our nation depends on us to do it well.”
Gosney also said he wants to make sure the base continues to operate efficiently and said, for example, he’d like CAFB to stay on top of what it’s doing well and to monitor and correct the things it isn’t.
He also placed a significant emphasis on the airmen’s character. He said it’s important that they show integrity, teamwork, respect, attention to detail, loyalty and other similar qualities. He also challenged them to consider the limited time they have to make a positive impact in their own and others’ lives.
“The mission is number one, but the mission doesn’t happen without relationships,” Gosney said. “Relationships don’t develop unless you show people … that you care about them. And you should care about them.
“That’s what I was trying to get across to our men this morning — the more you advance in your career, the more those relationships matter,” he added. “Where processes and bureaucracy can sometimes break down and be a little clunky to work through, that’s where the relationships you develop help push past that so we can still accomplish the mission effectively.”
BCC President and Cadence Bank Senior Vice President Larry Cantrell said he enjoyed Gosney’s address to the council.
“What’s really great is that we know we’re on a mission together,” Cantrell said. “He explained, in very clear terms, the positive nature of all the young men and women out here. He’s wanting to make a difference in their life. He wants them to understand that they’re making a difference in other people’s lives by keeping us safe in the things that they do. We couldn’t be any more proud than that.”
Gosney previously served as commander of the 2nd Operations Group at Barksdale Air Force Base. He is a command pilot with more than 3,300 flight hours, primarily in the B-52 Stratofortress strategic bomber and the T-38 Talon trainer. He deployed in or supported Operations Desert Thunder, Desert Fox, Allied Force, Enduring Freedom, Inherent Resolve and the Pacific Air Force’s Continuous Bomber Presence mission.
Alex Holloway was formerly a reporter with The Dispatch.
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