Wing's operations boss charts a new course

  • Published
  • By Gene H. Hughes
  • 908th Airlift Wing
MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. --  When he stepped from the C-130 onto the Maxwell flightline for the last time as the 908th Operations Group Commander on Aug. 4, Colonel Edward Jennings was hit by two things.

The first was the thought that he wouldn't be flying as part of an aircrew for awhile. The second was a large column of water.

Jennings, who has been with the 908th Airlift Wing since October 2007, recently departed for Robins Air Force Base, where he'll be the Force Generation Center Operations Division Chief.

He will oversee current operations for all Air Force Reserve Command aircraft, interact with Air Mobility Command when they need crews or planes, and oversee transportation for AFRC members deploying to various locations.

"I'll have the opportunity to broaden my scope beyond the C-130, which I have been flying for my whole career," he said. "In this position, I'll be involved with other airframes such as the C-5, C-17, KC-10 and KC-135, to name a few."

"During my time here I have been able to interact with many offices at AFRC, so it'll help me in my new job to know the functions of the various divisions at AFRC," he said. "The Force Generation Center is still relatively new, so my hope is to help it grow and ensure my office meets the needs of all the flying wings we serve."

Jenning's journey to Robins began in high school with the inspiration of his JROTC instructor. He was offered the opportunity to become a navigator during his Freshman year in college while in ROTC. He immediately accepted.

"Until that point, I had not imagined myself becoming a flyer in the Air Force," he said.
He served on active duty from 1986 to 1992 at Pope AFB, N.C. before joining the Reserves. His duty stations prior to the 908th have included O'Hare International Airport Air Reserve Station, Ill.; Youngstown/Warren Regional Airport ARS, Ohio; and Willow Grove Air Reserve Station, Penn.

In his career, Jennings has deployed for Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, and multiple times to Germany in support of humanitarian operations in Bosnia (including a forward deployment to Rwanda in 2004 to support African Union operations in Sudan). He's also been to Panama for Coronet Oak on several occasions.

Although he did not get the opportunity to deploy while assigned to the 908th, he did serve as exercise wing commander for Operation Global Medic 2011, a joint Army-Air Force training exercise in which personnel secure patients on the battle field, triage them, and transport them by airplane to a military hospital.

"I learned a lot about the interaction between the Army and Air Force Aeromedical units when they are in a deployed location, and their methods for preparing and transporting patients for movement from the field to higher levels of care."

Since joining the 908th, Jennings has seen several changes over the past seven years. He said the best part has been watching 908th Airmen accomplishing the mission.

"They've always performed with excellence and given exemplary support to our users," he said. "I was proud to receive e-mails that were sent to the wing commander praising our crews' performance and professionalism while deployed. Also, our members' response when asked to provide support for natural disasters stands out to me. Whether it was the AES for hurricane relief, or aircrews volunteering to fly missions to Haiti after the earthquake in 2010, they've always been willing to volunteer to help others in need."

His new position is a non-flying one, meaning that almost three straight decades of flying as a C-130 navigator have come to a close. While he said he'll miss flying with his aircrews, he's been privileged to be a member and a commander in the 908th Airlift Wing.

"The Airmen in this unit have always done great things, performing at a high level even when faced with a potential unit closure, lack of funds or government shutdowns," he said. "Thank you for your support for the last seven-plus years, and I know I will continue to hear great things about the 908th."