HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. – Col. Taona Enriquez and Chief Master Sgt. Alan Weary have hit the ground running since taking their new roles as 66th Air Base Group leaders earlier this summer.
The command team has been busy learning about the work done within the 66 ABG, as well as meeting those responsible for accomplishing it.
“The 66th Air Base Group is responsible for the infrastructure, connectivity and support for mission critical acquisition programs and professionals which have touch points across the Air Force, and we also support the Federally Funded Research and Development Centers at MITRE and MIT Lincoln Lab,” said Enriquez, 66 ABG commander, during a commander’s call with members of the workforce July 28.
The commander spoke about aligning her priorities under Air Force Materiel Command and the Air Force.
“Accelerate, change or lose is based on your ideas,” she said. “We have to think differently, take risk and explore new ideas, find opportunities to accelerate our mission - this is a must and it’s our responsibility to accelerate that change or we will lose our advantage.”
As part of the commander’s call, videos highlighting the work done by AFMC and Hanscom Program Executive Offices were interwoven and displayed to show the important role ABG has in ensuring mission partners deliver warfighting capability.
“AFMC touches everything across our United States Air Force enterprise to include our sister services and other government organizations,” said Weary. “I look at it as an ecosystem that operates in a harmonious way with everything synchronized to ensure that we are sharpening and revolutionizing the warfighter’s edge.”
The commander encouraged members of the workforce to appreciate how they are connected to supporting the warfighter.
“Each of you in this room should have been able to relate to what you do for AFMC and our Air Force,” Enriquez said. “The PEOs here cannot do our Air Force’s mission without all the services we provide. Our mission is to ensure they have the capability to execute what they have been tasked to do.”
She announced that her tenure will focus on connectedness.
“Everything we do is connected,” she said. “Connectedness is being joined or linked, to have a feeling of belonging. That’s what we’re striving to accomplish.”
Hanscom’s senior enlisted member spoke about the importance of the leadership team being connected to the workforce.
“If we’re connected, getting that feedback from you on how decisions we make impact you, then we’re going to be successful,” Weary said.
A focus area for the command team will be to connect with the local community. Enriquez intends to tout the critical warfighting systems Hanscom personnel provide when she meets with leaders in the community in the coming weeks and months.
“The work done by our mission partners here is vitally important to maintaining an advantage no adversary can match,” she said. “It’s important our community partners understand the tremendous work Hanscom is doing for our Air Force.”
Not unfamiliar with the installation, Enriquez previously served as the director and deputy director of contracting for the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center at Hanscom.
Weary has served mainly in the medical field. He previously was the 6th Medical Group senior enlisted leader at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida.
“It’s exciting to discuss and share our mission and how we are connected and support mission partners here at Hanscom Air Force Base,” said Enriquez. “We’re looking forward to connecting with our civilians, enlisted, officers and families.”
During the commander’s call, ABG leaders fielded several questions from personnel and compiled the questions into a Q&A included here.