DAF senior leaders visit Vance airmen

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Ken Wilsbach and Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force David Wolfe visited Vance Air Force Base on April 15, underscoring the service’s push to modernize pilot training and sustain readiness across the force. They were joined by their spouses, Cindy Wilsbach and Dr. Doniel Wolfe, during the stop at the 71st Flying Training Wing in Enid, Oklahoma.

The visit opened with a wing mission brief and working lunches that paired Wilsbach with instructor and student pilots at the Crosswinds Club, while Wolfe met with noncommissioned officers and senior NCOs. “The most important thing we do in the United States Air Force is fly and fix. And of those things fix is more important, because when you fix, then you can fly,” Wilsbach said. “That’s exactly what you’re doing here.”

Wolfe emphasized discipline, trust and everyday excellence as the backbone of combat credibility, praising the “gold medal performances” that often go unnoticed and urging a “winning mindset.” “Innovation can only happen when there is trust,” Wolfe said. “You build trust by being reliable, by doing the basics right and by being competent at your job.”

At an all-call in the base’s Armed Forces Reserve Center, Wilsbach and Wolfe outlined how evolving air threats are reshaping requirements for airmen in every specialty. They highlighted readiness, modernization and innovation as enterprise-wide imperatives to deter adversaries and prevail in 21st-century air warfare.

Wilsbach later met with Vance’s senior leaders to review training pipelines, including a program that sends new students to civilian aviation schools for initial flight instruction before they transition to the T-6A Texan II at Vance. He toured flying training squadrons for an up-close look at virtual reality and immersive tools used to accelerate learning, and received an update on a proposed “Fighter/Bomber fundamentals” syllabus aimed at preparing students for tactical follow-on training.

Wolfe visited the base control tower, which manages more than 55,000 sorties each year, and took a turn on the tower training simulator used to qualify air traffic controllers for the local pattern. Accompanied by Vance Command Chief Master Sgt. Harvey McReynolds, he also reviewed on-base housing and spoke with officials about quality-of-life challenges for Air Force families, before meeting with first sergeants from the wing and medical group. “Go find somebody to help,” Wolfe said. “we’ve got all the friends we need right here—we just have to activate that network”

The delegation departed Vance aboard a C-40B for a short hop to Altus Air Force Base, continuing a two-stop tour of Oklahoma pilot training installations.