New 39 ABW commander shares vision for wing

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Alex Martinez
  • 39th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey --  Col. Eric Beene assumed command of the 39th Air Base Wing at a change of command ceremony Aug. 11, and within days of his new duties, the colonel was visiting units around the base to introduce himself and share his expectations.

"It's a pleasure and an honor to be leading the great Airmen of Incirlik during a time of war, and supporting our nation's most important missions and interests," Colonel Beene said.

Colonel Beene is responsible for 5,000 U.S. military, civilian and contractor personnel. He said he already could not be prouder of the men and women of Incirlik.

"The [39th Air Base Wing personnel] are a testament to the hard work and success of the Air Force, and it is a pleasure to lead these folks," Colonel Beene said. "Every day we will continue to strive to make ourselves better than we were. And I know that after [serving] a tour at Incirlik, every Airman will be a stronger asset for the Air Force. I expect everyone to continue to give the great contributions they give every day. Everybody on this base is critical to the missions we support here."
During his unit visits, the colonel acknowledged that the wing has a lot of hard work ahead in the upcoming months, and expressed his confidence in the wing's ability to excel.

"Our most immediate concern is our inspection in November," Colonel Beene said. "The wing has a good system of exercises and training planned to get ready for it. Our focus needs to be tight and we need to be sharp. I want to keep up the great work that my predecessor has begun; continue the culture of excellence and maintain the high level of support that we have given to the Air Force with our missions here."

Another focus the colonel outlined was fiscal management.

"The Department of Defense faces the challenges of fiscal times that we are in now with resource constraints. We need leaders at all levels to make sure we balance our priorities and focus on the right priorities; I know the men and women here are up for it," Colonel Beene said.

With encouraging words, Colonel Beene encouraged all Incirlik Airmen to be "mentally, spiritually and physically fit; and focused on what's important to make sure we give the right level of effort to the things that matter. And I also need Airmen to fight for what's right, to not except less than excellence and to not think that better is good enough."

Colonel Beene was deployed here in the early 1990s as part of Operation Desert Storm, and said his experiences during that time were some of his most challenging.

"I was furthest from my comfort zone," Colonel Beene said. "It was a time when I was challenged personally and professionally and had to find something that I didn't think I had. But those times were also the most rewarding. It was a surprise to me to actually be fighting in combat against an enemy like that. I was able to find what I needed, and the Air Force found what it needed to be successful."

Colonel Beene joins Team Incirlik with his wife, Laura, and two sons, Patrick and Michael.