ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. — Air Force Sustainment Center leadership at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, will relocate its headquarters for one week to the two other major bases within AFSC throughout 2019.

The “move the flag” visits are an effort to immerse leadership in the local work force mission and communities around the command. The first effort took place at Robins AFB, Georgia, in January, to be followed by a visit to Hill AFB, Utah, in February.

“The goal of participating in daily operations at Robins and Hill is to demonstrate AFSC commitment to our workforce and communities across the command,” said Lt. Gen. Gene Kirkland, AFSC commander.

Kevin Stamey, AFSC executive director, and Chief Master Sgt. Gary Sharp, AFSC command chief, joined Kirkland to interact with the workforce and personally communicate goals and objectives.

“Having the AFSC command team working at Robins this last week has created unique opportunities to showcase the men and women who provide combat power around the world we normally don’t have” said Col. Katrina Stephens, 78th Air Base Wing vice commander. “Direct access to the command staff and their direct access to our workforce has been a force multiplier and extremely valuable, it provided multiple opportunities to bridge the gap that distance sometimes causes.”

The initiative is also an opportunity for senior leaders to foster stronger relationships with community leaders at the other bases, understanding that their support is vital to the overall success of the AFSC mission. Kirkland and his team took this opportunity with community leaders in Middle Georgia to hold open discussions about Robins AFB, the Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex and the surrounding community during their time working out of the installation.

“It’s challenging to build relationships across geographic boundaries and the more time we can spend with our internal team and our partners, the better equipped we are to enable their success,” Stamey said. “I also enjoy getting out to spend a day in the life of our workforce to understand what they need to be successful and what I can do to help. There is no substitute for the personal interaction that comes with being on site at the base.”

Kirkland said the goal is to temporarily relocate as often as practical. However, the teams adjust based on the operations tempo of the organizations and other factors.

“While most of the AFSC engine work is performed at Tinker AFB, the landing gear is worked on at Hill AFB in Utah, and the avionics workload is maintained at Robins AFB in Georgia,” said Kirkland. “These bases work interdependently to deliver combat effects and it takes all three to ultimately sustain these weapon systems. In addition, our three air base wings provide essential mission support to our depots and operational tenants.”

While at Robins, the AFSC command team visited various WR-ALC areas, met with leadership from across the installation, engaged with Airmen on the job, and joined the community to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday at the Museum of Aviation.

“We want all of our personnel to know how important they are to the mission,” Stamey said. “We are one team pulling on the same rope and this will give us an opportunity to demonstrate that.”