EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. – Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force David Wolfe dropped in for a base visit and an all-call May 15, 2026, in the historic McKinley Climatic Lab.
The chief spoke specifically about Team Eglin upon taking the stage highlighting the uniqueness and variety of mission sets here.
“I really appreciate what’s going on here,” Wolfe said. “It’s a combination of the future of the Air Force and accelerating that future, paired with the training enterprise as well as pushing operational capabilities to the warfighter.”
Then he jumped into The Air Force’s priorities of readiness, modernization and Airmen and families.
Wolfe highlighted as part of readiness, that at a local and unit level, a team should identify what winning looks like to them in the short and long term. Then, set objectives to achieve that goal.
On the readiness front, Team Eglin’s test teams expedited two weapons systems to meet a priority operational need for the warfighter: counter-UAS laser guided rockets for the F-15E Strike Eagle and A-10 Thunderbolt II, and extended range missiles for the F-16 Fighting Falcon.
“This was a perfect demonstration of test readiness to meet warfighter needs,” said Lt. Col. Brett Tillman, 780th Test Squadron commander. “Integrating the entire test team allowed us to safely test and deliver a critical capability at incredible speed. I am immensely proud of the tremendous work this team accomplished under such a tight deadline.”
The 96th Test Wing-hosted annual explosive ordnance disposal readiness training, known as EOD Warfighter, concluded the week prior to Wolfe’s visit. The two-week event brought together 95 EOD Airmen from five major commands for skills development and hands-on training.
“These annual training events give EOD techs the realistic field repetitions they need to handle complex hazards,” said Capt. Jacob Murray, 96th Civil Engineer Squadron. “It takes a lot of effort from our Eglin EOD Team to put on these events, but this exercise and training guarantee our technicians maintain the operational lethality and strict safety standards required to enable the Joint Force maneuver anywhere in the world.”
Team Eglin also recently held its 2nd annual Warrior Day event with the focus on readiness through team building and hands-on interactions with many of the warfighting capabilities operating on Eglin every day. The full day of activities began with a ruck march for 12 teams containing a mix of Airmen, Soldiers and civilians.
"The goal behind these Warrior Day activities is to create a stronger, more resilient, more ready Airman to face the conflicts that occur at any time," said Chief Master Sgt. Adam Guest, 96th TW command chief.
During the all-call, Wolfe asked for Airmen to volunteer to take the new physical fitness assessment as part of the early diagnostic study to help solidify the official scoring metrics.
Eglin’s fitness management stands ready to meet that extra demand. The day the new fitness standards dropped the 96th Force Support Squadron’s fitness management office began educating Airmen to implement and execute the new program.
This proactive approach to the Air Force’s requirement to retrain Airmen directly involved with the new physical fitness readiness program was due to the sheer size of the undertaking across the base. Eglin’s physical training program supports more than 110 tenant organizations across five major commands and seven installations impacting over 6,000 active-duty members.
“We anticipated challenges would come with such immense new expectations,” said Tech. Sgt. Maria Gafford, 96th FSS fitness management. “Our goal is to ensure every step of the process is clearly relayed, so the commanders UFPMs and PTLs can lead their units effectively.”
Eglin’s Senior NCO core also created a new four-day crash course for newly promoted SNCOs called Centurion Crucible. The goal is to better prepare these new leaders to lead by providing a professional military education and a strategic leadership bridge between NCO Academy and Senior NCO Academy.
The last day of the course brought Centurion Apex, a field exercise, that put the Airmen in the field for small group hands-on readiness exercises like combat casualty care, triage, UXO identification and radio communication.
“Centurion Crucible is not merely a professional development, it’s constructed to test, challenge, and forge stronger, more effective leaders, ready to face the complex challenges of the 21st century,” said Senior Master Sgt. Katrina Jenkins, 96th Medical Group and one of the leads for the Eglin course.
Wolfe then moved on to modernization and spoke about how AI will play a major role in innovating and advancing the Air Force into the future.
The future is here at Eglin with the Autonomy, Data, and AI Experimentation Proving Ground, in collaboration with AFWERX, the Department of the Air Force's innovation arm. Under those programs, last year was the first time an unmanned aerial system flew with a third-party developer’s software package operating on the aircraft.
“The Autonomy Proving Ground is giving small businesses the opportunity to compete in acquisition without requiring them to fund any of their own testing,” said Anthony Hix, 413th Flight Test Squadron.
Another autonomy project called the autonomous collaborative platform continues to progress with XQ-58A Valkyrie test flights at Eglin.
"By developing and integrating autonomous platforms with manned systems, we can quickly adapt, increase combat effectiveness and reduce risk to our aircrews in contested environments,” said Brig. Gen. Jason E Bartolomei, Air Force Research Laboratory commander.
The Team Eglin test team dropped a futuristic missile in January when they demonstrated the live-warhead test of the extended range attack munition less than 16 months from the program’s initial contract award.
The event, which met all primary objectives including full warhead detonation, gathered critical data to mature a new, cost-effective, long-range strike capability.
"Moving from a contract to a live-fire demonstration in under two years proves we can deliver lethal, cost-effective capability at the speed of relevance,” said Brig. Gen. Robert Lyons III, Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Weapons. “This is how we rebuild our military — by empowering our teams and industry partners to cut through bureaucracy and deliver the tools our warfighters need to prevail."
At Eglin, the National Cyber Range Complex will host its dedication ceremony next month. The facility is aligned with Air Force and Space Force program needs and is co-located and operates collaboratively with the 48th Cyberspace Test Squadron. The 48th CTS also recently gained its first aircraft, an F-35 Lightning II to begin testing risk mitigation associated with all aspects of the joint strike fighter program.
The NCRC conducts cyber testing, training, and mission rehearsal/preparation events for the full spectrum of customers including those involved in research, development, acquisition, testing, training, and operations.
This new facility is just one area of Air Force modernization along with the Air Force Armament Directorate that continues to advance, upgrade and update weaponry. The Air Force Research Lab’s Munitions Directorate is also located at Eglin with a mission specifically to develop the Air Force’s future weapons.
Even Eglin’s firefighters are part of the modernization effort. Last year, base firefighters tested laser-mounted helmets that allow them to see through smoke and blackness to identify heat sources, find victims, avoid obstacles and disorientation, and always know the egress direction.
“We're incredibly proud Eglin was chosen for this prestigious program,” said Joe Suddarth, Eglin’s assistant fire chief. “It’s a great opportunity to learn how to utilize this cutting-edge technology firsthand.”
CMSAF then spoke about Airmen and families and ensuring they are taken care of.
During the visit, Dr. Doniel Wolfe, CMSAF’s spouse, witnessed first-hand how Team Eglin takes care of its Airmen and families.
She visited the Fisher House and Military Family Readiness and stopped at the Intrepid Spirit Center where they provide patient-centered traumatic brain injury and brain health care, research, and education military beneficiaries.
Last month, the base held its annual 'Dorm Wars’ event that brought Airmen together and serves to foster resilience, build community connections and provide valuable resources for Airmen in a fun, engaging way.
Eglin’s hospital recently upgraded their critical care unit to now provide telehealth services enabling real-time collaboration between medical staff and board-certified intensivists from remote locations.
“We believe this highlights the innovative steps Eglin hospital is taking to improve healthcare delivery,” said Maj. Nicole Candelaria, 96th MDG.
Another way Eglin takes care of Airmen is Apex, a three-day extension of the First Term Enlisted Course, designed to improve junior enlisted confidence, resilience, and essential life skills needed for lasting personal and professional success.
“This is how we’re taking care of our Airmen. We want them to see how we’re thinking of their growth and success in every way we can and say I want to be a part of that,” said Guest, who helped develop the new course.
To end the all-call, the chief gave the final word to the Airmen by listening and answering their questions on a variety of general topics from warrant officers’ roles to Operation Epic Fury lessons learned.