New commander, same vision Published Jan. 21, 2009 By Col. Dennis Grunstad 153rd Airlift Wing Commander CHEYENNE, Wyoming -- Greetings and Happy New Year to the men and women of the 153rd Airlift Wing! Newness and change are in the air. Very soon we will be inaugurating a new commander in chief. Exciting times lie ahead for the nation for sure, and busy times lie ahead for the wing...but what else is new? Most likely there will be changes with the new president, but I imagine it will take some time until we really see or feel a difference. And so it will be with me at the helm of the wing. Col. Reed and I see things fairly eye-to-eye so I don't foresee a lot of huge changes. More I see an opportunity to tweak some processes; find some better ways to do business. My focus for the immediate future includes working on recognizing the hard work of our members, preparing for and executing AEF rotations, and preparing for our upcoming opportunities to shine and learn how we can be even better as we go through some more inspections (we have H.S.I., UCI, and ASEV opportunities in 2010), and continuing to build the 153 AW into the well-oiled cohesive machine I know we can be. I share Col. Reed's view that the 153rd is the best wing in the world! I know we will pass these upcoming inspections with no trouble because of who we are and how we do business. My biggest hope for us is that through all the preparation and execution we learn to work smarter, not harder. We have the best and brightest across the board in this wing- the experienced full-time staff, the dedicated traditionals, and the fresh perspective of our active duty compatriots. My vision is that we will continue to grow more seamless in our operations and our coexistence; that we will continue to write and tell the story, and above all show the world everyday that we are, and WHY we are the best unit in the world. I am blessed and honored to be your wing commander. My prayers and thoughts are with you all as you answer the nation's call in support of the Global War on Terror. Thank you all for all your volunteerism and support of this effort, Godspeed in your return. We'll leave the light on for ya!