Old friend returns to Whiteman

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Jason Barebo
  • 509th Bomb Wing Public Affars
WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. --  A change in Whiteman leadership has taken effect as Chief Master Sgt. Brian Hornback became the 509th Bomb Wing command chief June 20.

Chief Hornback is no stranger to the base; he was previously assigned to Whiteman from October 1997 to December 2001, first as a section chief in the 393d Bomb Squadron, then as the production superintendent and was lastly made the quality assurance chief inspector before he left for Anderson Air Force Base, Guam.

The chief returns to Whiteman from Seymour-Johnson AFB, N.C. where he was the 4th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron maintenance operations superintendent.

"It feels good to back here," Chief Hornback said, adding that returning is almost like coming back home to family. "Exterior wise the base has changed with the addition of new facilities, as well some of the aircraft operations have changed"

A familiar base also brings with it familiar faces. Chief Hornback has previously worked with Brig. Gen. Greg Biscone, 509th Bomb Wing commander, during the general's time here as the 393d BS commander.

"The people haven't changed," he said. "They're still great assets and they're still proud of the mission that they are doing."

With more than two decades of Air Force experience, the chief was ready to step up to the next level.

"When I thought about taking this job, I looked at what a command chief really does in addition to being a counsel to the base commander," he said.

"A command chief needs to keep a finger on the pulse of the enlisted force and everything that affects them.

"If someone is struggling with the retention process, then I should know the process and be able to help them through it," he added.

If a situation affects your morale, he said, it in turn affects your duty performance.

"Part of my job is to know what affects the morale, health and welfare of the wing," he said. "The only way I can do that is by getting out and talking to people, so people can expect to see me in their duty sections often."

Because Whiteman has been tasked with more deployments and hit harder than normal, Chief Hornback said he wants to look at the base deployment process to assist in ensuring our Airmen are getting the best support possible, including pre-deployment prep for families and reintegration.

"There's always room for improvement," he said. "Whiteman is a great place and I want to continue down that path."

"In my 22 years of maintenance, there's always the next (operational readiness inspection), the next deployment, the next inspection," the former B-52 crew chief said.

"I am always looking for a challenge and being offered the opportunity to become a command chief presents new challenges and I couldn't think of a better place to start off being a command chief than Whiteman."