62nd AW commander shares vision for Team McChord

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Eric Burks
  • 62nd Airlift Wing Public Affairs
MCCHORD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. --  Enhancing McChord's reputation as the premier combat airlift wing in the Air Force is at the top of Col. Jeffrey Stephenson's priorities as the new 62nd Airlift Wing commander. 

"I want to continue to bolster [that] perception and reality," he said. 

People know and believe in Team McChord, and there is a very positive impression at the most senior level, he continued. 

"You don't just get that reputation; you earn it. People respect us and look up to us and I want to continue to grow and be even better than we are," he said. 

A continued commitment to the Air Force's core values is the first thing Colonel Stephenson will be looking for in the Airmen of Team McChord. 

"I expect for them to be the most professional, most disciplined, best educated personnel they can be," he said. 

Colonel Stephenson demonstrated his personal commitment to 'service before self' in 1998 when his actions helped save the life of a pilot whose aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff from Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. Then-Major Stephenson was leaving the commissary just in time to see a T-34 aircraft flying low over the building before it hit the parking lot of the commissary and continued across the street and crashed into a van. He and the two other men raced to pull the trapped pilot out of the burning aircraft. 

"All I could think about was getting the gentleman out of the cockpit," he said. 

For his act of heroism, Colonel Stephenson was presented the Cheney Award. 

As his three master's degrees attest to, Colonel Stephenson firmly believes in the importance of education in today's Air Force. 

"It is our strength," he said. "Education is the basis for everything we do. It shows initiative, because you're always trying to better yourself. The more valuable you can make yourself to our nation and our Air Force speaks to where you want to go in the future." 

This focus on education was a view also shared by Colonel Stephenson's leadership role models, who range from current and retired general officers to a retired chief master sergeant. One of Colonel Stephenson's mentors, retired Lt. Gen. Charles Coolidge Jr., taught physics on the side while on active duty. 

"Here's a guy who was at the time a two-star general in our Air Force, and he still continued to go out and educate our young folks and spend the time as a professor," said Colonel Stephenson. "That level of education breeds excellence and that's what he wanted in our Air Force." 

Excellence from every member of Team McChord, whether active duty, Guard, Reserve or civilian, is how Colonel Stephenson envisions the Total Force concept in action. 

"My vision is that when someone comes to visit our installation, unless they look at an individual's patch or uniform, they would have no idea what component you are," he said. 

Colonel Stephenson stressed three points he wants every Airman to remember. 

To begin with, he said, everyone is important to the team. 

"We as Team McChord and the McChord family understand one thing - no one person is any better than another. We need to treat everyone fairly and with respect." 

Second, attitude is everything.
 
"When you go in to something, if you always have a positive attitude, you may not get the end result that you desire, but it will make your life a whole lot easier," said Colonel Stephenson. 

Finally, have fun and take pride in what one does. 

"Should you decide to separate or retire and you've given me 100 percent, I'm going to shake your hand and thank you for serving your country and what you've done not only for Team McChord, but for our Air Force and our Department of Defense and our nation," he said. 

Colonel Stephenson said that he and his family already feel warmly embraced by the Team McChord family, and they are looking forward to building and strengthening that relationship during their time here.