Photo By Tech. Sgt. Dustin Mullen | U.S. Air Force Col. Darren Ewing, 346th Air Expeditionary Group commander, speaks to...... read more read more
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The leaders of any team can make or break the overall effectiveness of a mission. For the 346th Air Expeditionary Group and members of New Horizons 2018, the leadership team serves a solid, stable core allowing members to fully engage the mission.
U.S. Air Force Col. Darren Ewing, 346 AEG commander, is deployed from the 612th Air Operations Center, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona.
Ewing spent most of his career as an Air Battle Manager, but has had international assignments that broadened his experience to take on a mission like New Horizons 2018.
“I have had several international assignments, from the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City to the commander of the Military Personnel Exchange Program for the Air Force,” Ewing said. “I have learned that it’s about understanding other people’s cultures and understanding that even though we have a lot of differences, we also have a lot in common.”
His drive to both help better the lives of many throughout Panama and provide unparalleled training for those he commands has Ewing ecstatic to take on the New Horizons 2018 mission.
“I am absolutely, over the moon excited to be in Panama. I not only volunteered, but I almost begged to come down here,” Ewing said. “This is an incredible opportunity to do some truly life-changing things for people. Giving back sight or hearing to people, but also building schools and making a better place for their children to learn.
“But even beyond that, this is a huge opportunity to learn,” he continued. “This is invaluable training. The reason [Southern Command] pays for this is because we get the kind of training we can’t get anywhere else. And the sidebar to that is we get to do great things for other people, and that builds better partnerships.”
The 346 AEG Deputy Commander, Lt. Col. Matthew Rochon, echoed that statement, stressing the importance of missions like New Horizons 2018.
“The projects here are going to change lives,” Rochon said. “(We have to) make it count. This is a great opportunity, so make it count and do it right.”
Rochon is deployed from 12th Air Force, Air Forces Southern, out of Davis-Monthan AFB.
His career, spanning 20 years split between 12 as a civil engineer and eight as a foreign area officer, makes his experience vital in New Horizons 2018.
“I have been a civil engineer squadron commander and commander for an expeditionary engineer training site called Silver Flag,” Rochon said. “I have also done an exchange tour with Seabees, doing similar community projects. We were based in Guam and sent our detachment out to do projects in different places throughout the pacific.”
He also has international experience as a Foreign Area Officer, coupled with his background as a civil engineer he was a logical fit into the mission here.
“As a foreign area officer I bring experience working with the U.S. mission in countries around the world,” Rochon said.
During a visit to local clinic, Rochon spoke to the director about the importance of the New Horizons mission, a mission that started in Panama more than three decades ago.
“Their director mentioned that the woman’s ward we are building was huge for the community,” Rochon said. “He spoke of a 19-year-old woman who was pregnant, yet the baby was out of position. Due to the cost of fuel, lodging, food and travel to a proper clinic, she was unable to afford it and chose to stay home. Unfortunately, that resulted to her death.”
The new woman’s ward being constructed can help lower risks of child birth and allow the clinic in Meteti to properly care for those giving birth.
As for the members of the 346 AEG, Rochon expressed what his thoughts for a successful training mission include.
“I am looking for positive attitudes, willingness to learn and respect for others and the people of Panama,” he said.
The 346 AEG superintendent maintains similar expectations from all the members of the group.
“I expect our people to be professional,” said Chief Master Sgt. Scott Robbins, but said he’s not too worried about that considering the caliber of people already working at HN18. “I have no worries about that … we have some superstars here already.”
“I have been a chief for eight-and-a-half years,” Robbins said, “I know how to manage, train, and equip our enlisted forces. I am familiar with coordinating squadrons and really what they expect of me in this role. I know how to build teams and bring people together—my most important job here is to make sure that we are building as team.”
Robbins is deployed from the 721st Mission Support Group at Cheyenne Mountain Complex, Colorado. His role as a group superintendent there has given him a head start into how the 346 AEG will operate and what is required of him.
Over his last few assignments, Robbins has worked with several different Air Force Specialty Codes, including civil engineer, services and medical. This experience gives him unique insight into what their jobs will be during New Horizons 2018 and how to better manage the entire team.
Robbins joined the Air Force as a Ground Navigations Equipment technician. His job took him all over the world and throughout his time in the Air Force, Robbins has been on six deployments.
“All of my other deployments have been to the desert,” he said. “There, we were helping people more indirectly, but here we are helping people by simply helping people. This is different than anything I have ever done, and that’s why I am excited about it.”
Robbins’ first assignment as a chief was in the 606th Air Control Squadron, which was commanded by Ewing. Their past experience together adds a level of cohesion that can be rare in deployment environments.
“Typically, for the first six months to year you are just learning what they expect from you [as a superintendent],” Robbins said. “Just the fact that we have worked together before, I understand him and know what he is looking for.”
“I have worked with Chief Robbins since 2009,” Ewing said. “I have a deep respect for him and a great friendship. He is an outstanding, superstar of human being and a superstar of a chief master sergeant.”
Their past working relationship will help the unit’s cohesion and provide a clear route in supporting the commander’s goals.
“In my mind, we have already been extremely successful,” Ewing said. “We came down here to learn, and even if we are just getting started, we have learned. There is always room for improvement, but discovering that room for improvement and actually improving it, that is success.”
As New Horizons 2018 continues, and even after the exercise has wrapped up, Ewing hopes every Airman, Marine and Soldier here takes pride in what they are doing and realizes the incredible opportunity they have been presented.
“Relish this opportunity,” he said. “This is an incredible opportunity and so outside the norm of what the Air Force does. We will not get many chances to come down here. We have the opportunity to either directly or indirectly to literally change people’s lives. Even if you weren’t the doctor restoring someone’s sight or the engineer who is building a school, you had an impact on getting them here or setting up the mission. Be proud.”
| Date Taken: | 04.19.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 04.19.2018 16:52 |
| Story ID: | 273753 |
| Location: | METETI, PA |
| Web Views: | 395 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Leadership Brings Deployment, Civil Engineer, People Skills to Exercise New Horizons 2018, by TSgt Dustin Mullen, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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