618 AOC commander honors Pope Airmen and families

Maj. Gen. Timothy Zadalis, 618th Air Operations Center commander, Scott Air Force Base, lll., provides remarks as the guest speaker during the 440th Airlift Wing and 43rd Airlift Group’s 2014 Annual Awards banquet held at the Fort Bragg Club, Feb. 21, Fort Bragg, N.C. Zadalis was previously the 43rd Airlift Wing and Pope installation commander from July, 2006 to May, 2008. (U.S. Air Force photo/Marvin Krause)

Maj. Gen. Timothy Zadalis, 618th Air Operations Center commander, Scott Air Force Base, lll., provides remarks as the guest speaker during the 440th Airlift Wing and 43rd Airlift Group’s 2014 Annual Awards banquet held at the Fort Bragg Club, Feb. 21, Fort Bragg, N.C. Zadalis was previously the 43rd Airlift Wing and Pope installation commander from July, 2006 to May, 2008. (U.S. Air Force photo/Marvin Krause)

The 82nd Airborne Division All-American Chorus performs during the 440th Airlift Wing and 43rd Airlift Group 2014 Annual Awards Banquet held at the Fort Bragg Club, Feb. 21, Fort Bragg, N.C. (U.S. Air Force photo/Marvin Krause)

The 82nd Airborne Division All-American Chorus performs during the 440th Airlift Wing and 43rd Airlift Group 2014 Annual Awards Banquet held at the Fort Bragg Club, Feb. 21, Fort Bragg, N.C. (U.S. Air Force photo/Marvin Krause)

The 82nd Airborne Division All-American Chorus performs during the 440th Airlift Wing and 43rd Airlift Group 2014 Annual Awards Banquet held at the Fort Bragg Club, Feb. 21, Fort Bragg, N.C. (U.S. Air Force photo/Marvin Krause)

The 82nd Airborne Division All-American Chorus performs during the 440th Airlift Wing and 43rd Airlift Group 2014 Annual Awards Banquet held at the Fort Bragg Club, Feb. 21, Fort Bragg, N.C. (U.S. Air Force photo/Marvin Krause)

Maj. Gen. Timothy Zadalis, 618th Air Operations Center commander, presents the 43rd Airlift Group’s 2014 Airman of the Year Gryphon trophy to Senior Airman Earl Brown, 43rd Logistics Readiness Squadron with Col. Kenneth Moss, 43rd Airlift Group commander and Chief Master Sgt. James Cope, 43rd Airlift Group superintendent, during the 440th Airlift Wing and 43rd Airlift Group 2014 Annual Awards Banquet held at the Fort Bragg Club, Feb. 21, Fort Bragg, N.C. with Brig. Gen James Scanlan, 440th Airlift Wing commander and Command Chief Master Sgt. Rocky Hart, 440th Airlift Wing command chief, look on. (U.S. Air Force photo/Marvin Krause)

Maj. Gen. Timothy Zadalis, 618th Air Operations Center commander, presents the 43rd Airlift Group’s 2014 Airman of the Year Gryphon trophy to Senior Airman Earl Brown, 43rd Logistics Readiness Squadron with Col. Kenneth Moss, 43rd Airlift Group commander and Chief Master Sgt. James Cope, 43rd Airlift Group superintendent, during the 440th Airlift Wing and 43rd Airlift Group 2014 Annual Awards Banquet held at the Fort Bragg Club, Feb. 21, Fort Bragg, N.C. with Brig. Gen James Scanlan, 440th Airlift Wing commander and Command Chief Master Sgt. Rocky Hart, 440th Airlift Wing command chief, look on. (U.S. Air Force photo/Marvin Krause)

Maj. Gen. Timothy Zadalis, 618th Air Operations Center commander, presents the 43rd Airlift Group’s 2014 Civilian of the Year, Category III, Gryphon trophy to Catherine Bard, 43rd Medical Squadron with Col. Kenneth Moss, 43rd Airlift Group commander and Chief Master Sgt. James Cope, 43rd Airlift Group superintendent, during the 440th Airlift Wing and 43rd Airlift Group 2014 Annual Awards Banquet held at the Fort Bragg Club, Feb. 21, Fort Bragg, N.C. (U.S. Air Force photo/Marvin Krause)

Maj. Gen. Timothy Zadalis, 618th Air Operations Center commander, presents the 43rd Airlift Group’s 2014 Civilian of the Year, Category III, Gryphon trophy to Catherine Bard, 43rd Medical Squadron with Col. Kenneth Moss, 43rd Airlift Group commander and Chief Master Sgt. James Cope, 43rd Airlift Group superintendent, during the 440th Airlift Wing and 43rd Airlift Group 2014 Annual Awards Banquet held at the Fort Bragg Club, Feb. 21, Fort Bragg, N.C. (U.S. Air Force photo/Marvin Krause)

Maj. Gen. Timothy Zadalis, 618th Air Operations Center commander, presents the 43rd Airlift Group’s 2014 Civilian of the Year, Category II, Gryphon trophy to Benjamin Anderson, 43rd Force Support Squadron with Col. Kenneth Moss, 43rd Airlift Group commander and Chief Master Sgt. James Cope, 43rd Airlift Group superintendent, during the 440th Airlift Wing and 43rd Airlift Group 2014 Annual Awards Banquet held at the Fort Bragg Club, Feb. 21, Fort Bragg, N.C. (U.S. Air Force photo/Marvin Krause)

Maj. Gen. Timothy Zadalis, 618th Air Operations Center commander, presents the 43rd Airlift Group’s 2014 Civilian of the Year, Category II, Gryphon trophy to Benjamin Anderson, 43rd Force Support Squadron with Col. Kenneth Moss, 43rd Airlift Group commander and Chief Master Sgt. James Cope, 43rd Airlift Group superintendent, during the 440th Airlift Wing and 43rd Airlift Group 2014 Annual Awards Banquet held at the Fort Bragg Club, Feb. 21, Fort Bragg, N.C. (U.S. Air Force photo/Marvin Krause)

Maj. Gen. Timothy Zadalis, 618th Air Operations Center commander, presents the 440th Airlift Wing’s 2014 Civilian of the Year, Category II, Iron Mike trophy to Elizabeth Upton, 440th Airlift Wing, with Brig. Gen. James Scanlan, 440th Airlift Wing commander and Command Chief Master Sgt. Rocky Hart, 440th Airlift Wing command chief, during the 440th Airlift Wing and 43rd Airlift Group 2014 Annual Awards Banquet held at the Fort Bragg Club, Feb. 21, Fort Bragg, N.C. while Col. Kenneth Moss, 43rd Airlift Group commander, looks on. (U.S. Air Force photo/Marvin Krause)

Maj. Gen. Timothy Zadalis, 618th Air Operations Center commander, presents the 440th Airlift Wing’s 2014 Civilian of the Year, Category II, Iron Mike trophy to Elizabeth Upton, 440th Airlift Wing, with Brig. Gen. James Scanlan, 440th Airlift Wing commander and Command Chief Master Sgt. Rocky Hart, 440th Airlift Wing command chief, during the 440th Airlift Wing and 43rd Airlift Group 2014 Annual Awards Banquet held at the Fort Bragg Club, Feb. 21, Fort Bragg, N.C. while Col. Kenneth Moss, 43rd Airlift Group commander, looks on. (U.S. Air Force photo/Marvin Krause)

Maj. Gen. Timothy Zadalis, 618th Air Operations Center commander, presents the 43rd Airlift Group’s 2014 Civilian of the Year, Category I, Gryphon trophy to Michael Conlin, 43rd Logistics Readiness Squadron, with Col. Kenneth Moss, 43rd Airlift Group commander and Chief Master Sgt. James Cope, 43rd Airlift Group superintendent, during the 440th Airlift Wing and 43rd Airlift Group 2014 Annual Awards Banquet held at the Fort Bragg Club, Feb. 21, Fort Bragg, N.C. (U.S. Air Force photo/Marvin Krause)

Maj. Gen. Timothy Zadalis, 618th Air Operations Center commander, presents the 43rd Airlift Group’s 2014 Civilian of the Year, Category I, Gryphon trophy to Michael Conlin, 43rd Logistics Readiness Squadron, with Col. Kenneth Moss, 43rd Airlift Group commander and Chief Master Sgt. James Cope, 43rd Airlift Group superintendent, during the 440th Airlift Wing and 43rd Airlift Group 2014 Annual Awards Banquet held at the Fort Bragg Club, Feb. 21, Fort Bragg, N.C. (U.S. Air Force photo/Marvin Krause)

Maj. Gen. Timothy Zadalis, 618th Air Operations Center commander, presents the 440th Airlift Wing’s 2014 Civilian of the Year, Category I, Iron Mike trophy to Danny Schneeweis, 440th Operations Support Squadron, with Brig. Gen. James Scanlan, 440th Airlift Wing commander and Command Chief Master Sgt. Rocky Hart, 440th Airlift Wing command chief, during the 440th Airlift Wing and 43rd Airlift Group 2014 Annual Awards Banquet held at the Fort Bragg Club, Feb. 21, Fort Bragg, N.C. while Col. Kenneth Moss, 43rd Airlift Group commander, looks on. (U.S. Air Force photo/Marvin Krause)

Maj. Gen. Timothy Zadalis, 618th Air Operations Center commander, presents the 440th Airlift Wing’s 2014 Civilian of the Year, Category I, Iron Mike trophy to Danny Schneeweis, 440th Operations Support Squadron, with Brig. Gen. James Scanlan, 440th Airlift Wing commander and Command Chief Master Sgt. Rocky Hart, 440th Airlift Wing command chief, during the 440th Airlift Wing and 43rd Airlift Group 2014 Annual Awards Banquet held at the Fort Bragg Club, Feb. 21, Fort Bragg, N.C. while Col. Kenneth Moss, 43rd Airlift Group commander, looks on. (U.S. Air Force photo/Marvin Krause)

Maj. Gen. Timothy Zadalis, 618th Air Operations Center commander, presents the 43rd Airlift Group’s 2014 First Sergeant of the Year Gryphon trophy to Tech. Sgt. Brian Fisher, 3rd Aerial Port Squadron, and his son, Cody, 9, accepting on behalf of his spouse, Master Sgt. Rory Fisher, 43rd Airlift Group, who is currently deployed, with Col. Kenneth Moss, 43rd Airlift Group commander and Chief Master Sgt. James Cope, 43rd Airlift Group superintendent, during the 440th Airlift Wing and 43rd Airlift Group 2014 Annual Awards Banquet held at the Fort Bragg Club, Feb. 21, Fort Bragg, N.C. (U.S. Air Force photo/Marvin Krause)
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Maj. Gen. Timothy Zadalis, 618th Air Operations Center commander, presents the 43rd Airlift Group’s 2014 First Sergeant of the Year Gryphon trophy to Tech. Sgt. Brian Fisher, 3rd Aerial Port Squadron, and his son, Cody, 9, accepting on behalf of his spouse, Master Sgt. Rory Fisher, 43rd Airlift Group, who is currently deployed, with Col. Kenneth Moss, 43rd Airlift Group commander and Chief Master Sgt. James Cope, 43rd Airlift Group superintendent, during the 440th Airlift Wing and 43rd Airlift Group 2014 Annual Awards Banquet held at the Fort Bragg Club, Feb. 21, Fort Bragg, N.C. (U.S. Air Force photo/Marvin Krause)

Maj. Gen. Timothy Zadalis, 618th Air Operations Center commander, presents the 440th Airlift Wing’s 2014 First Sergeant of the Year Iron Mike trophy to Master Sgt. James Walker, 440th Force Support Squadron, with Brig. Gen. James Scanlan, 440th Airlift Wing commander and Command Chief Master Sgt. Rocky Hart, 440th Airlift Wing command chief, during the 440th Airlift Wing and 43rd Airlift Group 2014 Annual Awards Banquet held at the Fort Bragg Club, Feb. 21, Fort Bragg, N.C. (U.S. Air Force photo/Marvin Krause)
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Maj. Gen. Timothy Zadalis, 618th Air Operations Center commander, presents the 440th Airlift Wing’s 2014 First Sergeant of the Year Iron Mike trophy to Master Sgt. James Walker, 440th Force Support Squadron, with Brig. Gen. James Scanlan, 440th Airlift Wing commander and Command Chief Master Sgt. Rocky Hart, 440th Airlift Wing command chief, during the 440th Airlift Wing and 43rd Airlift Group 2014 Annual Awards Banquet held at the Fort Bragg Club, Feb. 21, Fort Bragg, N.C. (U.S. Air Force photo/Marvin Krause)

Maj. Gen. Timothy Zadalis, 618th Air Operations Center commander, presents the 43rd Airlift Group’s 2014 Company Grade Officer of the Year Gryphon trophy to Lt. Harry Kehs, 3rd Aerial Port Squadron, with Col. Kenneth Moss, 43rd Airlift Group commander and Chief Master Sgt. James Cope, 43rd Airlift Group superintendent, during the 440th Airlift Wing and 43rd Airlift Group 2014 Annual Awards Banquet held at the Fort Bragg Club, Feb. 21, Fort Bragg, N.C. (U.S. Air Force photo/Marvin Krause)
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Maj. Gen. Timothy Zadalis, 618th Air Operations Center commander, presents the 43rd Airlift Group’s 2014 Company Grade Officer of the Year Gryphon trophy to Lt. Harry Kehs, 3rd Aerial Port Squadron, with Col. Kenneth Moss, 43rd Airlift Group commander and Chief Master Sgt. James Cope, 43rd Airlift Group superintendent, during the 440th Airlift Wing and 43rd Airlift Group 2014 Annual Awards Banquet held at the Fort Bragg Club, Feb. 21, Fort Bragg, N.C. (U.S. Air Force photo/Marvin Krause)

Maj. Gen. Timothy Zadalis, 618th Air Operations Center commander, presents the 43rd Airlift Group’s 2014 Senior Noncommissioned Officer of the Year Gryphon trophy to Master Sgt. Claudia Alvarez, 43rd Force Support Squadron, with her son, Alejandro, 7, with Col. Kenneth Moss, 43rd Airlift Group commander and Chief Master Sgt. James Cope, 43rd Airlift Group superintendent, during the 440th Airlift Wing and 43rd Airlift Group 2014 Annual Awards Banquet held at the Fort Bragg Club, Feb. 21, Fort Bragg, N.C. (U.S. Air Force photo/Marvin Krause)
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Maj. Gen. Timothy Zadalis, 618th Air Operations Center commander, presents the 43rd Airlift Group’s 2014 Senior Noncommissioned Officer of the Year Gryphon trophy to Master Sgt. Claudia Alvarez, 43rd Force Support Squadron, with her son, Alejandro, 7, with Col. Kenneth Moss, 43rd Airlift Group commander and Chief Master Sgt. James Cope, 43rd Airlift Group superintendent, during the 440th Airlift Wing and 43rd Airlift Group 2014 Annual Awards Banquet held at the Fort Bragg Club, Feb. 21, Fort Bragg, N.C. (U.S. Air Force photo/Marvin Krause)

Col. Kenneth Moss, 43rd Airlift Group commander and Chief Master Sgt. James Cope, 43rd Airlift Group superintendent, present the 43rd Airlift Group’s 2014 Squadron of the Year trophy to Maj. Joseph Whittington, 3rd Aerial Port Squadron commander and Chief Master Sgt. Kenneth Hubbard, 3rd Aerial Port Squadron superintendent, recognizing the 3rd Aerial Port Squadron as the best unit in the group for 2014 while Maj. Gen. Timothy Zadalis, 618th Air Operations Center commander and Brig. Gen James Scanlan, 440th Airlift Wing commander look on. (U.S. Air Force photo/Marvin Krause)
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Col. Kenneth Moss, 43rd Airlift Group commander and Chief Master Sgt. James Cope, 43rd Airlift Group superintendent, present the 43rd Airlift Group’s 2014 Squadron of the Year trophy to Maj. Joseph Whittington, 3rd Aerial Port Squadron commander and Chief Master Sgt. Kenneth Hubbard, 3rd Aerial Port Squadron superintendent, recognizing the 3rd Aerial Port Squadron as the best unit in the group for 2014 while Maj. Gen. Timothy Zadalis, 618th Air Operations Center commander and Brig. Gen James Scanlan, 440th Airlift Wing commander look on. (U.S. Air Force photo/Marvin Krause)

Maj. Gen. Timothy Zadalis, 618th Air Operations Center commander, presents the 440th Airlift Wing’s 2014 Senior Noncommissioned Officer of the Year Iron Mike trophy to Master Sgt. Karanda Johnson, 440th Operations Support Squadron, with Brig. Gen. James Scanlan, 440th Airlift Wing commander and Command Chief Master Sgt. Rocky Hart, 440th Airlift Wing command chief, during the 440th Airlift Wing and 43rd Airlift Group 2014 Annual Awards Banquet held at the Fort Bragg Club, Feb. 21, Fort Bragg, N.C. (U.S. Air Force photo/Marvin Krause)
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Maj. Gen. Timothy Zadalis, 618th Air Operations Center commander, presents the 440th Airlift Wing’s 2014 Senior Noncommissioned Officer of the Year Iron Mike trophy to Master Sgt. Karanda Johnson, 440th Operations Support Squadron, with Brig. Gen. James Scanlan, 440th Airlift Wing commander and Command Chief Master Sgt. Rocky Hart, 440th Airlift Wing command chief, during the 440th Airlift Wing and 43rd Airlift Group 2014 Annual Awards Banquet held at the Fort Bragg Club, Feb. 21, Fort Bragg, N.C. (U.S. Air Force photo/Marvin Krause)

Maj. Gen. Timothy Zadalis, 618th Air Operations Center commander, presents the 43rd Airlift Group’s 2014 Noncommissioned Officer of the Year Gryphon trophy to Tech Sgt. Brian Fisher, 3rd Aerial Port Squadron, with Col. Kenneth Moss, 43rd Airlift Group commander and Chief Master Sgt. James Cope, 43rd Airlift Group superintendent, during the 440th Airlift Wing and 43rd Airlift Group 2014 Annual Awards Banquet held at the Fort Bragg Club, Feb. 21, Fort Bragg, N.C. while Brig. Gen. James Scanlan, 440th Airlift Wing commander looks on. (U.S. Air Force photo/Marvin Krause)
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Maj. Gen. Timothy Zadalis, 618th Air Operations Center commander, presents the 43rd Airlift Group’s 2014 Noncommissioned Officer of the Year Gryphon trophy to Tech Sgt. Brian Fisher, 3rd Aerial Port Squadron, with Col. Kenneth Moss, 43rd Airlift Group commander and Chief Master Sgt. James Cope, 43rd Airlift Group superintendent, during the 440th Airlift Wing and 43rd Airlift Group 2014 Annual Awards Banquet held at the Fort Bragg Club, Feb. 21, Fort Bragg, N.C. while Brig. Gen. James Scanlan, 440th Airlift Wing commander looks on. (U.S. Air Force photo/Marvin Krause)

Maj. Gen. Timothy Zadalis, 618th Air Operations Center commander, Scott Air Force Base, lll., gives his commander’s coin to Master Sgt. Claudia Alvarez’s son, Alejandro, 7, after the 440th Airlift Wing and 43rd Airlift Group 2014 Annual Awards Banquet held at the Fort Bragg Club, Feb. 21, Fort Bragg, N.C. (U.S. Air Force photo/Marvin Krause)
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Maj. Gen. Timothy Zadalis, 618th Air Operations Center commander, Scott Air Force Base, lll., gives his commander’s coin to Master Sgt. Claudia Alvarez’s son, Alejandro, 7, after the 440th Airlift Wing and 43rd Airlift Group 2014 Annual Awards Banquet held at the Fort Bragg Club, Feb. 21, Fort Bragg, N.C. (U.S. Air Force photo/Marvin Krause)

POPE ARMY AIRFIELD, N.C. -- The Commander of the 618th Air Operations Center, (Tanker Airlift Control Center), Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, praised service members, and their families at Pope Army Airfield, North Carolina, February 21 for their professionalism, commitment and support.

Air Force Maj. Gen. Timothy Zadalis, former commander of Pope Air Force Base and the 43rd Airlift Wing from July 2006 to May 2008, spoke during the 440th Airlift Wing and 43rd Airlift Group's annual awards banquet, where he lauded Pope's Airmen for their service, their families for their unwavering commitment and local community leaders for their vital support.

"Everyone with a medallion around your neck needs to know that what you have done has been noticed. What you have done has made a huge, huge, difference--not only for Pope, but for our Air Force, for the Army here at Fort Bragg and for our nation," he said. 

Also, Zadalis said, I also want to say thank you to the spouses and family members because there is a strength that is required to support somebody throughout their career and I'll tell you that tonight is just as much your night as it is their night.

There will be some winners tonight and there will be some who don't come up to the front, but they are still winners, the general said, "everyone one of you are because of the difference you make every single day so, I thank you for that and I salute you."

Zadalis shared his thoughts on leadership concerning people and the mission and which of these should come first. He shared with the audience that he has always been a people first person from listening to his father, a 33-year retired chief master sergeant, who would say, nine times out of ten, I'm not taking care of my people. It bothered Zadalis when he joined the service that there was even a question of which came first--people or the mission. For years and years, he couldn't make the argument one way or the other because he believed in both.

"If any leader is going to put people first, you have to give them knowledge of the mission. For each and every one of us that starts at basic military training or your commissioning source through technical training, all of that military education, all of that experience that you have, gains you that knowledge of the mission. It's really incumbent upon those of us in leadership positions to make sure that next generation of leaders has the opportunity to learn because without knowledge of what they're supposed to do, it's just a job and we won't develop professionals in the profession of arms," he said.  

The second thing we owe our people are the tools to do the mission, the general continued, "that could be as simple as a wrench to turn on an engine and it could be something as elaborate as a fifth-generation fighter. We owe them the tools because we're going to ask them to use those tools to accomplish the mission and it's incumbent upon us as leaders to make sure they have the very best. We have to advocate for our people--we have to tell everybody when things are not where they need to be for us to execute the mission," he said.

"The third thing that we have to do is we have to give our people time to train with those tools. If we give them the knowledge and the tools, we have to respect their time and arguably, time is the most precious commodity of an airman. We have to give them the time to work with those tools to put that knowledge because eventually, we're going to ask them to deploy. We're going to ask them to take those skills and to go into harm's way potentially and execute them. We have to give you the time to train," he said.

"Now eventually when we ask airmen to deploy, we need to do something for their families back at home. We have to take care of them. We have to make sure that every family member that remains behind has the support installation they need. The spouses, the children, the family members that they leave behind. They should not want for the littlest thing for the support that they need while they are deployed. We as airmen, soldiers, marines, sailors, we have to take care of our families. As we deploy forward, have that faith, not only that our loved ones are taken care of at home but we have to know if we make the ultimate sacrifice, our families will be taken care of when we don't come home," he said.

"For the longest time in my career, those were the things that I had and why I argued people were placed ahead of mission but there was something missing with that and one day I was listening to a four-star commander that I happen to serve under talk about holding people accountable in the context of the military justice system. It dawned on me--there's two sides to accountability. Sure, we do not want to have those among us who don't deserve to wear the union amongst us, we need to find those folks and send them away. We need to give them what they deserve because they bring us all down and they don't deserve to wear the uniform. There are hundreds of thousands of young men and women who would give any opportunity to have the chance of what many of us have. So there is that side of accountability," he said.

"The other side of accountability I see here tonight as I look across the room--it's that positive side of accountability. It's taking that time with your airmen to give them the credit for the things that they do. It's taking that time and writing that performance report or that promotion recommendation or that annual awards package that sets them apart from everybody else. It's taking that airman who has the idea and innovation, putting them in front of that general officer that comes and walks through and giving them the credit for what they have done," he said.

"There are supervisors here in this room who have taken the time to hold you accountable for the things that you have done. My thanks to the supervisors for holding their people accountable in that way," he said.

After his speech, Zadalis recognized the 440th Airlift Wing and 43rd Airlift Group's annual award recipients by presenting them with their awards along with their commanders and senior enlisted leaders.