New group commander settles in

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Joe Davidson
  • 452 AMW/PA
MARCH AIR RESERVE BASE, CALIF. --  Col. Robert J. Weisenberger, commander, 452nd Medical Group, recently shared some of his thoughts with Beacon reporter Staff Sgt. Joe Davidson after assuming command of the group from Col. Raymond M. Butler.

Q: What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why? 

A: Up until very recently I would have said that it was the deployments for Operations Desert Shield/Storm and Iraqi Freedom. Both put me in the middle of the action and were very exciting. However, I've been a squadron commander the past four years and I'm sure that after my Air Force days are over, it will be the memories of serving with so many exceptional men and women that will be a source of lifelong satisfaction and fulfillment. 

Q: What two or three areas are most critical to providing the management for all medical squadrons assigned to the group? 

A: I recognize that in my new role as a group commander, I have to make some adjustments. I won't be as hands-on as I was when I was a squadron commander. The Med Group has three very strong units with very capable commanders. As the Med Group commander, it will be my job to give an assist when barriers arise. Another part of the job will be to make sure that all three squadrons stay focused on the priorities that come from the wing and higher up. The flip side of that is to ensure that each unit is provided the resources needed to perform the mission. Most often, that's money for training and equipment. Finally, I've served in all three squadrons and have a good idea of what's important to each. Hopefully, I can make a difference when it comes to combined training and supporting the upcoming humanitarian and AEF deployments. 

Q: What's the best way to prioritize and balance the operational, training, personnel, material and fiscal needs of the group in a time of war? 

A: Most important, we need to maintain the right balance between all the things that compete for our time. As medics, our number one priority is to support the wing's generation mission; basically, that means making sure that the wing's 4,000 members are medically ready to go. It's one of the toughest missions on the base and the 452nd Aerospace Medicine Squadron does a great job every UTA. The Med Group also makes an important contribution to the wing's mobility mission. The 752nd Medical Squadron and the 452nd Aeromedical Staging Squadron have been in the deployment business in a big way since 9/11 and preparations are already underway to deploy our medics for AEF 9/10 in 2009. A rapidly growing mission for the Med Group is the International Health Specialist program. We've sent teams to Africa, the Caribbean and Central and South America in recent years. As medics, we have the opportunity to do good things and make a significant contribution to the Global War on Terrorism. In many ways, 30 medics can have a greater impact than a battalion of Marines or Soldiers. The new commander of the 452 ASTS will be Lt. Col. Ed Sanchez, who worked as a senior planner in the program before coming to the 452nd. We're on track to send a team to the Dominican Republic in spring 2009, and I expect the frequency of our humanitarian deployments will increase. 

Q: Sir, in one of your past assignments you were the commander of the 332nd Expeditionary Medical Support Squadron at Balad AB in Iraq. Can you talk a little bit about your experiences there? 

A: I served at the Air Force Theater Hospital in Balad from September 2007 to February 2008. It's the main military hospital in Iraq and, at the time, the busiest trauma center in the world. So, the helicopters come in regularly around the clock and the casualties included Americans, Iraqis and our coalition partners as well. The speed and precision of medical care coupled with our ability to transport our patients to higher levels of care in Germany and CONUS no doubt saved many lives. I was very fortunate to play a small role in such an important operation What impressed me most was how closely everybody worked together. That was true of the 380 medics staffing the hospital. Even more, everybody at Balad Air Base, regardless of MOS or AFSC, routinely made the difficult things look easy. If there was a problem that couldn't be fixed, then a way around it was found. The people who serve in the military do remarkable things every day. I'm lucky I got to see it first hand while deployed to Balad. 

Q: What two or three best lessons have you taken from your experiences in the AOR that will serve you as commander of the 452nd Medical Group? 

A: For the foreseeable future, the Air Force is going to continue to meets its operational requirements by assembling individuals from units spread across the active force, the Guard and Reserve. That works well for meeting manpower needs; however, it doesn't guarantee that a cohesive team will form. In this environment, all of us must recognize that, whether a first- term Airman or a very experienced Senior NCO or officer, all of us must be leaders. The work starts here at home station. Before they deploy, we need to make sure that our members are not only fully proficient in their career field but also prepared to assume a level of responsibility higher than their rank. We have smart people and they're here because they want to do important things, not necessarily easy things. Just a little preparation will go a long way. It can spell the difference between success and failure of the mission. 

Q: Is there anything in the group that you would like to see changed or that you feel could be done better? 

A: I see a great opportunity to build a stronger group identity by increasing our reliance of combined training and exercises and by assembling our teams for humanitarian and AEF deployments from all three squadrons. It makes more sense to train and exercise
in a combined fashion as opposed to replicating these activities three times among the individual units. And, whenever possible, our people will perform better when they deploy as a cohesive team rather than as an individual Airman. 

Q: What military leader, past or present, are you most impressed by? 

A: It has to be General George C. Marshall. Although he had the opportunity to lead our armies during the invasion of Europe in 1944, he put service before self and remained the Chief of Staff in Washington. He was the architect of our victory in World War II, building a military force of about 12 million persons in just three years. After the war, he served as the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defense. He ensured the peace by securing approval for the Marshall Plan that gave unprecedented aid to our allies and former enemies. He was universally respected for his wisdom and integrity. Despite being one of the most powerful men in the world, his actions were always selfless and humble.