Hund reflects on command at Hanscom, Air Force career

  • Published
  • By Mark Wyatt
  • 66th Air Base Group Public Affairs
HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. – Since taking command of the 66th Air Base Group here nearly two years ago, Col. Roman Hund has been responsible for leading a base with a huge regional mission while supporting programs offices with critical global missions.

During a recent interview with Public Affairs, Hund, who will retire Aug. 1 after more than 26 years in the Air Force, spoke about his tenure as the installation commander, as well as his career in the Air Force.

“It has been a privilege to serve as the commander of the 66th Air Base Group at Hanscom,” he said. “Supporting the Air Force acquisition mission and a variety of other tenant organizations, as well as a joint-service military housing community, has been a challenging and rewarding opportunity.”

Hund will relinquish command of the Air Base Group during a change of command ceremony Aug. 2 at 9 a.m. in the Aero Club Hangar.

When asked what surprised him most about his time at Hanscom AFB, Hund said it was not the work done on base, but the community partnerships.

“At many of the bases I have been in my career the installations have not been as active in the local community or with local groups as they are here,” he said. “The rapport we have with our local communities is among the best I have seen in my Air Force career.”

Hund has leveraged those relationships to provide the community an opportunity to learn more about the critical work done at Hanscom.

“Exposing members of the community to what we do in the program offices has really helped local leaders better understand the important mission we have at Hanscom,” he said. “Last year’s Hanscom Expo was an excellent example of providing civic leaders and others the opportunity to view technology demonstrations and hear from base personnel about their role in supporting the warfighter.”

The ABG commander said the Expo also provided an opportunity for Airmen of the Air Base Group to appreciate their support role and how they contribute to the acquisition mission.

“We have made some headway in helping people in the Air Base Group understand where they’ve made impacts to the acquisition mission, but there is more work to do there,” he said.

He attributes the experienced leadership in the group with making his job easier.

“Typically finding the right kind of experience to run an organization is challenging,” he said. “With the civilian leadership we have here, we have some of the strongest and well-connected leaders across the command and the Air Force, which makes some of the day-to-day operations here less stressful.”

Hund encourages members of the group, as well as the entire workforce here, to learn from those military and civilian leaders within their organizations. He encourages those just beginning their careers to focus on learning their jobs.

“My advice to Airmen is for them to focus on being an expert in their respective fields,” he said. “A lot of people tend to, especially in the officer corps, focus on ‘how do I get to the next level.’ They are looking at their career as a whole. One of the most important things for all of our Airmen is for them to learn their job and be the best they can be in that job; be an expert in that field.”

After the change of command next month and before he transitions to a civilian career, Hund will take some time to do something he always wanted.

“I’m going to take a month to canoe from the headwaters of the Mississippi River through the first 650 miles in Minnesota,” he said. “In Minnesota, the Department of Natural Resources has areas to camp along the way.”

Hund said the month-long trip will allow him to reflect back on his time at Hanscom and his career in the Air Force.

“I’ve had great opportunities throughout my career to work with dedicated Airmen committed to their mission,” he said. “The Air Base Group will continue to commit itself to securing and sustaining Hanscom Air Force Base and supporting the mission of delivering war-winning capabilities.”