Headquarters of the 88th Air Base Wing on Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. THOMAS GNAU/STAFF
Headquarters of the 88th Air Base Wing on Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. THOMAS GNAU/STAFF
The base, Ohio’s largest single-site employer, moved most workers to work locations away from the facility at the start of the pandemic, about two months before Miller took command of the Air Base Wing – Wright-Patterson’s host unit – in June 2020.
And the pandemic remains worrying. With the number of COVID-19 cases rising, Wright-Patterson reverted to a stricter “Bravo” HPCON from “Alpha,” beginning at noon Sunday, the base said on social media over the weekend. end.
The new designation comes with a minimum weekly testing requirement for employees who have not received the COVID vaccine, the base said.
The base has also deployed 119 medics to Detroit, Michigan to deliver more than 240,000 vaccines during the pandemic, dispatching five medical support teams, establishing a “summary mission” to support those deploying, so that “they don’t inadvertently carry the virus down.” “, while trying to keep daycares and other basic missions open, Miller added.
“It was a dynamic environment that gave us the opportunity to do amazing things,” Miller said. “An environment where we were only bound by our imaginations.”
“We’ve got some of the finest professionals in the Air Force…and they’re killing it,” Shaffer said.
“Take COVID out okay,” Miller said. “COVID was just this one thing. We still had the normal, everyday things in running this setup. »
The pair had words of appreciation for each other, with Shaffer telling Miller at one point, “It’s been amazing because of you.”
“I appreciate that,” Miller replied.
“For me, it was always about trying to do the team justice, trying to be the best servant-leader I could be,” the commander said.
Shaffer said mission leaders have a chance to impact the facility as a whole. “It was really great, sir, to be able to help so many people.”
The 88th Air Base Wing has over 5,000 employees.
