HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah — The first ‘move the flag’ visit by Lt. Gen. Gene Kirkland, Air Force Sustainment Center commander, and other center leadership to Hill Air Force Base Feb. 3-8 was a success, according to officials. Describing the visit, the general said, “It was a tremendous opportunity to interact with our military and civilian Airmen, as well as the community. We covered so much ground this week.”

During ‘move the flag’ visits, AFSC leadership relocate the headquarters from Tinker AFB, Oklahoma, for a week to one of the two other major bases within the center. The inaugural visit took place at Robins AFB, Georgia, last month.

Kirkland said the visits are centric to seeing the AFSC mission, and give him and executive director Kevin Stamey an opportunity to more directly engage with local leadership and individuals “…while gaining insight into every day challenges.”

During this visit to Hill, Kirkland said, “We immersed ourselves daily across the air base wing, complex and supply chain.” He added it was interesting to visit the base during a command-level readiness assessment and watch “…our Airmen execute with professional precision.”

In addition to conducting routine headquarters business throughout the week, the general and his staff toured several facilities, met with back shop workers, and recognized several civilian personnel with 40-year certificates. Stamey spent a full day interacting with mechanics on the maintenance floor to explore various workloads within the complex.

“The goal of participating in daily operations at Hill is to demonstrate AFSC commitment to our workforce and communities across the command,” Kirkland said. “We are here to open a dialogue about what barriers our civilian and military Airmen encounter and what we can do at the headquarters to assist so they focus on what matters – the people and the mission.”

While the visit immersed AFSC leadership in the local workforce mission, it also exposed them to the communities outside the installation’s fence line.

“It was an honor to meet with Governor Herbert at the capitol and explore our shared interest and opportunities,” Kirkland said. “Utah has a tremendous network of state officials and local community partners who support Hill’s Airmen and families.”

“They are absolutely vital to the success of the sustainment center mission and we benefit directly through their support,” he continued.

These visits, said Col. Jon Eberlan, 75th ABW commander, are a “…good opportunity for our Airmen to see and meet the AFSC leadership, and for them to see the great work our Airmen do on a daily basis.”

Additional ‘move the flag’ visits are expected to be scheduled throughout the year.