New ABW commander: lead by example

  • Published
  • By Kevin Gilmartin
  • 66th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
HANSCOM AFB, Mass. --  The 66th Air Base Wing's new commander, Col. David L. Orr, has only been at Hanscom a short time, but already he's identified a number of priorities - with the goal for the wing to provide world-class support to Electronic Systems Center and optimize the quality of life for those who live and work here. 

He outlined his focus areas for the Hanscom team during a series of commander's calls Aug. 7, and expanded on them in an interview later that day. 

The colonel, an F-16 fighter pilot with the call sign "Iron" Orr, brings a strong Air Force background to his new position, having grown up on bases around the world as the son of an Air Force officer and serving on active duty for 24 years. Among his many assignments are tours as a T-38 instructor, F-16 instructor, executive officer to the vice commander of Air Combat Command, squadron commander, joint staff action officer, vice commander of the 56th Fighter Wing at Luke AFB, Ariz., and most recently as vice commander of Second Air Force at Keesler AFB, Miss. 

"I started out as a T-38 instructor. What an unbelievable job," he said. "To be a second lieutenant teaching other lieutenants how to fly -- it sure does make you try to become great at your craft early on." 

Colonel Orr said the insight into leadership he gained as the executive officer for ACC Vice Commander Lt. Gen. Brett Dula will serve him well as 66th Air Base Wing commander. 

"General Dula was very people-oriented and a genuine leader," he said. "He brought me into every meeting, every conversation, and every personnel action, just to teach me. He was a great source of knowledge and leadership for me." 

The colonel said his last two assignments, as vice commander of a fighter wing and vice commander of Second Air Force, really helped prepare him to lead the Air Base Wing.
"In the Air Force's largest fighter wing, we had a robust maintenance group, support group, and medical groups supporting the flying mission, so I got to be tied at the hip with those group commanders," he said. "I had to understand what their needs were in terms of resources, our personnel and their families, and how our functional cultures were different. " 

At Keesler, Colonel Orr saw firsthand the importance of leadership and the effect it has on Airmen. 

"At Second Air Force, it was exhilarating to observe and interact with Airmen going through basic military training and initial technical training. It really hit home how we've got to enforce the standards at all levels of the organization to keep that positive example going. It's that old quote, 'A leader's greatest ally is his or her example,'" Colonel Orr said. "These Airmen hold onto everything we say. That's why I won't accept personnel who don't maintain proper customs and courtesies, who don't comply with established Air Force standards, and who lack discipline in their daily mission performance." 

The colonel, his wife, Lisa, and their three children "love Hanscom so far," he said, "and that's something you might find surprising from someone who spent most of his career at southern-tier bases and has never had an assignment north of the Pentagon." 

"From the day we set foot on the base, the welcome was fantastic and everybody we met has just been as friendly and as professional as can be." 

As an F-16 pilot, the colonel brings an appreciation for the products and capabilities ESC brings to the fight, many of which gave him situational awareness while flying his missions. 

"I've been a user of ESC products for nearly 20 years, and now it's payback time," Colonel Orr said. "Hopefully, I can support ESC people by ensuring a great place for them to live and work so they can focus on developing and acquiring the technologies to maintain our decisive advantage in the future fight." 

Solving the housing privatization problem and getting new homes built for Hanscom's military members is one of his top priorities. 

"This is really key, and we've got to get the new contract on board soon," he said. "We're talking about families and where they're living, so we must take care of our people who make the mission happen." 

"I grew up on many military bases where there was a robust base population, and that adds to and accentuates the community feeling for the Air Force members. I'd love for Hanscom to go back to the days where there are hundreds of kids playing, going to school together and families doing activities on base together." 

Earning an "Outstanding" for Hanscom and the wing during the Nov. 1-10 Air Force Materiel Command Unit Compliance Inspection is another focus area for Colonel Orr. He said he recognizes some people see it as "a massive paper drill," and "about as popular as "a root canal," but the UCI and what it measures is extremely important. 

"Our Air Force right now is now under heavy scrutiny, and our way to put us back on top is through compliance, through disciplined actions in everything we do and through strict attention to detail and maintaining standards. I think that is the key to success in every mission. That's what the UCI is about, and if we're individually doing our missions by the book, we will be ready to impress those inspectors," he said. 

"We're inside of our 90-day window for the UCI, so it's time to raise the bar in our preparation vigor," he added. 

Following through on the momentum of the Voluntary Protection Program to the ultimate goal of earning star status for Hanscom from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is another focus area for the colonel. He promised a "VPP surge" over the coming months. 

"It is clear VPP is doing pretty well at Hanscom," he said. "We've done really great work on VPP, and we have some really great people leading the effort, but I want to tie it to our UCI prep and to finish off this high interest item from AFMC," he said. "I want re-establish the VPP momentum so we can complete the last initiatives needed for us to get the star credentials." 

Colonel Orr promises world-class customer service from his organizations while recognizing the constraints brought on by recent civilian and military cuts. 

"Nothing is killing me more than seeing a line of 10-15 people waiting outside our customer service area at 8:45 in the morning," he said. "We're going to take a look at that and other areas to see if there isn't a better way where we can provide optimum customer service, while at the same time not breaking the backs of our people. This absolutely applies to our AAFES partners in observing the level of customer service being offered our Hanscom community. We can do much better." 

The colonel said that maintaining a fit and healthy work force of military and civilians is a major priority. "It's not just about being fit to perform the mission today," he said. "I'm worried about your health, now and well into the future." 

Colonel Orr is also adamant about preserving Air Force culture and passing on traditions to younger Airmen, which includes participating in professional and social events on base. 

"If you've never been to a monthly enlisted promotion ceremony, our quarterly awards, or an Airmen Leadership School graduation, you need to go," he said. 

He also encouraged everyone to take advantage of all that the Services Squadron offers, from Outdoor Recreation to the Bowling Alley, and to join the Minuteman Club. 

"I don't think people realize how a robust club membership helps support a lot of other community activities on the base, and enables all the "cradle to grave" programs that our Services Division is responsible to provide," he said. "We need to shift the mentality from 'what's in it for me?' to 'supporting activities for the whole Hanscom community!'" 

The colonel closed his commander's calls with a challenge to all who work in his wing: "Identify where you fit in the mission of the wing, and how that contributes to the ESC, the Air Force, and the nation. That will allow each member to transition from being content, to being fulfilled in their daily activities." 

"Preserving our nation's freedom is not a job; it's the noblest vocation in the USA," he said. "You don't have to have ever deployed to be making a far-reaching difference. Each and every one of us plays an important role in our nation's defense."