{"id":108903,"date":"2024-02-05T23:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-02-06T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=108903"},"modified":"2024-02-06T16:36:03","modified_gmt":"2024-02-06T16:36:03","slug":"maxwell-welcomes-first-active-duty-flying-training-unit-since-1945","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=108903","title":{"rendered":"Maxwell welcomes first active-duty flying training unit since 1945"},"content":{"rendered":"
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MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. (AFNS) — \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

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The 908th Airlift Wing has <\/span>an active-duty associate mission partner on Maxwell Air Force Base<\/span><\/strong>,<\/span><\/span><\/a> for the first time.<\/span>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Detachment 3 of the 58th Operations Group had <\/span>an official activation ceremony Jan. 31, 2024, at Maxwell AFB.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Det. 3 will provide mission support to the 908th\u2019s flying training mission <\/span>and local support to Air Education <\/span>an<\/span>d<\/span> Training Comm<\/span>an<\/span>d<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/strong>\u2019s mission of m<\/span>anaging MH-139A Grey Wolf<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/strong> helicopter training courseware <\/span>and syllabi. The detachment will also assist in the responsibility of providing trained Grey Wolf pilots and special mission aviators to four major commands, ensuring aircrew are members are trained and qualified for worldwide employment in nuclear security, VIP transportation operations, and survival, evasion, resistance, and escape training support.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Col. Derek Price, <\/span>58th OG commander, was the presiding official for the activation ceremony and for the assumption of command where the Air Force\u2019s newest detachment welcomed Lt. Col. Derek Cumbie as its commander.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“Today, after 60 years of remarkable service, we are taking a significant stride towards the eventual retirement of the Huey fleet, and welcoming its replacement,\u201d Price said. \u201cSince the inception of the MH-139A Grey Wolf in 2018, it has been a long road of research, development, testing, coordinating with international agencies, battling delays, overcoming logistical challenges, and finding a new home for the [formal training unit]. An FTU that will shape professional rotary wing aviators for many decades to come.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Price then touched on the significance of Det 3 being at Maxwell AFB.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI can think of no other base across our Air Force that is more suited to this mission than Maxwell,\u201d said Price. \u201cThis is arguably one of the most profound institutions in our history, and it is the heartbeat of the Air Force. Where we stand, was once used by Wilber and Orville Wright to open up their very first civilian flying school. nd in the 1930s, the Army Air Corps Tactical School moved here, followed by numerous initial and advanced flight training units. Add in the doctrinal foundation of Air University and I\u2019m confident that no other base in the Air Force can match the historical significance and perfect operating environment for the 908th and Detachment 3 to thrive and provide Grey Wolf crews well into the future.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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After Price spoke about the detachment, he then turned his focus to Cumbie.<\/span>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cNo base and no aircraft can operate completely on its own,\u201d Price explained. \u201cIt takes professional leadership to run and especially to standup a new schoolhouse. And more importantly, it takes a heavy reliance on the ability to establish and build relationships, which is why you\u2019re sitting on this stage today, Derek. You\u2019ve spent several years doing exactly that, building relationships and setting the stage for the success of this program. And today, your duty title changes, to reflect commander, a change that comes with an additional responsibility, leading Airmen. Your task is now to guide the team in front of you, to lead them while they continue the work you\u2019ve been doing. They will face challenges and make mistakes along the way, but as the commander, your role shifts to removing the roadblocks they encounter. Use the relationships and trust you\u2019ve built with Team Maxwell, to enable your Airmen and help them become successful. Lead them and lead them well.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Cumbie is a senior pilot with more than 2,000 flying hours and more than 17 years of service in the U.S. Air Force. He has various flying and staff assignments in Texas, Maryland, North Dakota, New Mexico and Alabama, where he has provided distinguished visitor support for the national capitol region, UH-1N flying training instruction, nuclear security support and academic instruction at AETC\u2019s Air University.\u00a0<\/p>\n

After Cumbie thanked his family, friends, Maxwell AFB members and other helicopter crew members from throughout the Air Force that were in attendance, he then turned his focus to Price.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\u201cCol. Price, sir, thank you for presiding today and for your advocacy,\u201d Cumbie said. \u201cThank you for entrusting me with this role, and for your guidance and leadership over the past couple of years. Taking command is a privilege and I will make every effort to live up to the standards that the position demands. I will daily do my best to earn the right to lead those entrusted to this unit. I\u2019m humbled and honored. Thank you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Cumbie then turned his attention the detachment\u2019s mission.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cDet 3\u2019s activation is another small step in the journey toward graduating MH-139A students at Maxwell,\u201d Cumbie explained. \u201cThis activation is significant for several reasons. First off, Det 3\u2019s activation marks the first time in history that the 908th Airlift Wing will have an associated partner. Since the 1960s the 908th Airlift Wing has faithfully executed a tactical airlift mission here at Maxwell. They\u2019ve done it solely with their Reserve personnel. Today, they have an associative partner in Det 3. Active-duty members, along with Air Force Reserve members will work, train and fly side-by-side. We hope to make our Total Force Integration an example of success for others to follow. To all my active-duty friends here today, I want to assure you, that the 908th has risen to this massive challenge. The MH-139 FTU is in good hands here.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Cumbie then closed his comments by turning to the Airmen of Det 3 that he now commands.\u00a0<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cMembers of Det 3, ownership of our mission starts now, and I have all the confidence in the world that we are ready for the challenge,\u201d Cumbie said.<\/p>\n

Det 3, and the 58th OG both belong to the 58th Special Operations Wing, based at Kirtl<\/span>an<\/span>d<\/span> Air Force Base<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/strong>, New Mexico. The 58th SOW\u2019s parent org<\/span>anization is the 19th Air Force located at Joint Base S<\/span>an<\/span> An<\/span>tonio-R<\/span>an<\/span>d<\/span>olph<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/strong>, Texas, which belongs to Air Education <\/span>and Training Command.<\/p>\n

Prior to taking command of Det 3, Cumbie served as the AETC liaison and director of operations for the 58th OG OL-A MH-139A, Flying Training Unit Program Integration Office, 908th Airlift Wing. He assisted major command functional leads with requirements and on-site execution of flying training unit beddown activities and assisted the relationship between AETC and the Air Force Reserve Comm<\/span>an<\/span>d<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/strong> to help develop the U.S<\/span>. Air Force\u2019s only MH-139A Grey Wolf helicopter flying training wing.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. (AFNS) — \u00a0 The 908th Airlift Wing has an active-duty associate mission partner on Maxwell Air Force Base, for the first time.\u00a0 Detachment 3 of the 58th Operations Group had an official activation ceremony Jan. 31, 2024, at Maxwell AFB.\u00a0 Det. 3 will provide mission support to the 908th\u2019s flying […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":108905,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-108903","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/108903","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=108903"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/108903\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":108906,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/108903\/revisions\/108906"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/108905"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=108903"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=108903"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=108903"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}