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12th Air Force commander visits Dyess

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Joel Mease
  • 7th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
Lieutenant Gen. Norman R. Seip, 12th Air Force and Air Forces Southern commander, made the first of his seven base visits here Monday.

The base visits are part of a commitment he made to look at each base's operations first hand when he took over as 12th Air Force commander, the general said.

During his visit, he met with wing leadership and Airmen throughout the base. His tour included the cantonment area, the weapons school, and the phase dock; he also hosted a commander's call, awarded a Bronze Star, and spoke with local media.

"It's always great to visit with world-class Airmen and base leadership who are giving us world-class work every day," said General Seip, who is a command pilot with more than 4,500 flying hours.

While serving as the commander of 12th Air Force the general said his goals for Dyess are the same as Col. Timothy Ray's, 7th Bomb Wing commander.

"We need to continue the great work Team Dyess does at flying and fixing aircraft, graduating bomber pilots, and working to improve the quality of life for our Airmen," General Seip said.

The challenges the general sees for 12th Air Force in the future are the same as those faced by the entire Air Force.

"We need to make sure we are not only posturing for the long war but also ready for any military taskings or humanitarian missions that may come down," General Seip said. "Our Airmen need to continue to give their best efforts and look for new ways to improve how we operate."

While the Air Force is getting smaller, the general's advice for Airmen to ease the transition is to use support organizations on base and continue to look toward leadership to provide Airmen with information needed to make informed decisions.

"I want folks to remember that our No. 1 resource still is our people," General Seip said. "Remember, by using (Air Force Smart Operations 21) we are putting the most efficient forces into play to make sure we accomplish the mission."

Overall, the general said he was very impressed with the base and the motivation of the Airmen at Dyess.

"We have a great one-two punch here with the B-1s and C-130s," General Seip said.

The general said he plans to make a return visit to Dyess in a few months to look at Team Dyess' deployment programs and to get a closer look at the B-1.