Photo By Senior Airman Jenna Bond | Nick Mackeson-Smith, BeddownLDR chief learning officer, takes notes during a...... read more read more
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The 31st Fighter Wing hosted Wyvern Warfighter Week, a week-long event designed to strengthen resilience, adaptability and unity among Airmen and joint partners.
The week’s events included a formation run, uniform inspections, warfighter panels and hands-on professional development , emphasizing discipline, readiness, critical thinking and a shared purpose.
“It’s easy to forget in the daily grind, but you matter and the work you do matters,” said Brig. Gen. Tad Clark, 31st Fighter Wing commander.
Wyvern Warfighter Week kicked off with a wing-wide three-mile formation run of about three thousand Airmen along the flight line with participation from Soldiers stationed at Aviano Air Base as well, symbolizing strength in unity. Prior to the run, squadrons held physical training uniform inspections to reinforce discipline and attention to detail.
Following the run, Airmen attended warfighter panels throughout the day featuring service members from around the wing. The first panel featured Brig. Gen. Tad Clark, 31st FW commander, Col. Beau Diers, 31st FW deputy commander, Chief Master Sgt. Cesar Flores, 31st FW command chief, Lt. Col. Kimberly Guest, 31st Security Forces Squadron commander, and Master Sgt. Cody Freel, 31st Civil Engineer Squadron assistant chief of fire protection. Drawing from their personal stories about deployment experiences, resiliency and impactful moments in their careers, the leaders offered firsthand accounts of the operational demands facing today’s warfighters.
Panelists spoke candidly about their experiences navigating improvised explosive devices, providing care under fire and adapting to evolving mission requirements.
“The emotional toll of combat is real,” said Guest. “When I think through my deployments, there was always someone in a dark spot, but they had a wingman who was willing to walk through the dark with them.”
They also emphasized the value of mentorship and returning to the fundamentals of military training.
“When you keep things simple that’s when you’re most effective and innovative,” said Clark.
This week-long event also featured leadership development sessions facilitated by BeddownLDR, a team of facilitators focused on translating private-sector leadership tools for military application. These interactive sessions promoted collaboration, adaptability and mission-focused leadership in high-pressure environments.
Wyvern Warfighter Week exemplified the Department of the Air Force’s commitment to restoring America’s fighting force by cultivating a lethal, resilient and adaptable Air Force—one ready to meet the challenges of tomorrow’s modern warfare head-on.
| Date Taken: | 04.11.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 04.16.2025 09:20 |
| Story ID: | 495412 |
| Location: | AVIANO AIR BASE, IT |
| Web Views: | 21 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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