Photo By Cristina Oliveira | At Lajes Field, we sit down with Colonel Christopher D. Boyd, the newly appointed...... read more read more
At Lajes Field, we sit down with Colonel Christopher D. Boyd, the newly appointed Commander of the 65th Air Base Group, to gain insights into his leadership philosophy, vision for the future, and the exciting challenges that lie ahead. Get ready to hear from the person in command, as he shares his thoughts on the unit's mission, the importance of partnership, and the strategies he believes will drive success during this next year.
Q. What can you tell us about your background? How has been your path in the U.S. Air Force?
I grew up in the suburbs of Dallas, Texas. I was not an Air Force brat or an Air Force child. I didn't grow up in a military family, but when I started college, I had a strong interest in serving my country. Back then I saw an opportunity to go through a program that allowed me to commission as an officer and join the Air Force.
I joined in 2000 and I have enjoyed every minute of the last 23 years. It hasn’t always been easy, but it has always been extremely rewarding.
I’ve served in a variety of roles in the Air Force, from financial management to aircraft maintenance, and to international affairs. Each of these fields presents challenges that have prepared me for the leadership opportunities that the Air Force has entrusted to me. My path has always been driven by the passion to keep going, support the mission, and to serve people I’m entrusted to lead.
Q. In 2003, you were assigned at Lajes Field as the Financial Analysis Flight Commander. 20 years later you are back at the base. How is the feeling of returning as the Commander of the 65th Air Base Group?
I was extremely excited to get back to Lajes. Even though it has changed over time as far as the number of people, there’s still a spirit of camaraderie, a joint effort, and a bond that we have with our host nation partners, the Portuguese Air Force, that still remains. I continue to be amazed at the expertise of our Portuguese workforce. They truly are the backbone that support our mission, regardless of who sits in the commander’s seat. I cherish and value their contributions to our mission, and that hasn’t changed since the last time I served at Lajes Field, 20 years ago. I think that is part of what makes this place special.
Q. What are your goals as the 65th Air Base Commander for this next year? What can the people of the group expect from you?
Chief Gonzalez and I recently had an offsite with our four squadron commanders and senior enlisted leaders. We spoke at length about what focus we should have and what collective objectives we should pursue. We carved the time with two primary focuses, one being “what do we do now and how do we do that better '' and the other being “what’s the potential of Lajes and Morón”.
We’re already doing a major mission, so how do we get better with what we’re doing? How do we get the resources? How do we support the workforce? How do we develop them to success and get them the right support, at the right levels, to fully reach their potential? I have always been a believer that if you help people reach their potential everything else will kind of sort itself out. We want to invest in the team dynamics that both locations have. We want to make sure that we’re spending the proper time with that development and not letting those opportunities to enable individuals and teams to reach their potential to slide by over the next year.
Another big focus is really what our weapon system is, which are these tremendous flightlines that both locations have. What can we do to be sure that we ready that weapon system and make sure that it is always available and ready to use for the forces that are coming through?
And then the last thing is how do we integrate better with our Portuguese and Spanish partners as we move forward with these types of investments. We already have strong relationships, but we can always make those better. Those relationships are vital to our success, and we continuously seek ways to collaborate and build our teams as true force multipliers.
Q. Following that idea, what are your expectations from your team?
My expectation from the team is just to see them embracing these opportunities that we’re trying to provide and improve themselves and the Airmen surrounding them, figure out where they fit into the puzzle, focus on their skills and advance the mission, be fantastic teammates, both internal in the Air Force, but also with our partners and allies. That's how we're going to be the force multiplier our Air Force needs.
Q. The 65th ABG has two geographically separated units (GSUs), Lajes Field and Morón Air Base. Can you explain, in your vision, what makes these two GSUs so unique and what’s the importance of their mission?
Both locations are critical to mission success. Our ability to support forces from multiple locations is a significant value in today’s changing world. Each has unique capabilities that no other location in the Air Force can provide. We are responsible for sustaining key weapon systems – our flightlines – to project power. I would argue that more than at any time in our Air Force’s history, we need the ability to project power from places like Lajes and Morón. It is a significant operational advantage, which is why both locations are so important. They give us advantages in the ever-changing landscape of conflict, but I believe it’s also the people - our Airmen and host-nation partners - at both locations that will ensure our success in those challenges.
Q. The vision of the 65th ABG is to “empower leaders at all levels to ready adaptive Airmen with team partners”. Can you speak more about it?
When we talk about empowering leaders, we’re talking about leadership at all levels. You don’t need to have the title of commander or senior enlisted leader to be a leader. There's leadership everywhere, and I’ve seen Airmen at the lowest ranks step up and lead in ways that absolutely amazes me. That's the kind of potential that I want to untap with our Airmen and our civilian workforces so they can be adaptive to the mission.
Q. One of the challenges that the Airmen face here is the fact that they aren't always able to be with their families. What do you think can be done to keep their motivation and morale up and what wise words can you give to them?
I'm one of those Airmen that is here without my family. I would say that I prioritise my time by speaking with my family daily while separated. It’s not the same as being there in person, but it helps me maintain the connections with my family and to be mentally, physically, and emotionally ready to focus on the mission for Team 6-5.
I’d also say that I’ve always believed that part of the honour of serving in the Air Force is that I serve alongside the greatest Airmen that ever existed. Airmen, including military, civilians, and contractors, are my family as well. We hold each other responsible as part of an incredible service, but we are also there for each other. So, I would say that being separated from my family is challenging - a challenge many of us are facing - but I’m also thankful to be surrounded by my Air Force family at Lajes Field and Morón Air Base.
Q. Are there any additional topics you would like to mention?
One of the things I get asked is why have I stayed so long in the Air Force. The answer is just because I've absolutely enjoyed serving alongside with Airmen. It's really the people that keep me motivated, that keeps my drive high, that makes me want to come to work every day to serve and see the amazing accomplishments they are capable of achieving. It's an important mission and we need to keep serving and supporting that mission, now more than ever.
I'm proud of being part of the 86th Airlift Wing. I love leading and serving Team 6-5. It's humbling to be the leader and commander of such a great unit. So, keep it up, Team 6-5! You motivate me every day, and I can’t wait to witness all of your accomplishments over the next year!
| Date Taken: | 10.31.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 10.31.2023 07:38 |
| Story ID: | 456842 |
| Location: | LAJES FIELD, REGIãO AUTóNOMA DOS AçORES, PT |
| Web Views: | 502 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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