Meet the Operations Group commander

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Keith James
  • 18th Wing Public Affairs
KADENA AIR BASE, Japan --  U.S. Air Force Col. David Mineau took over as the Operations Group commander of the 18th Wing on Aug. 15, at Kadena Air Base, Japan. Below is a Q-and-A providing his thoughts on his new profession and new home.

What do you hope to bring to the 18th Wing during your time as the operations group commander?

This is my fourth overseas assignment and my second time to Kadena, so I think I bring some good experience and understanding of what it is like to live overseas with or without a family, the challenges that our Airmen face being a long way from home and normal support networks, as well as all my assignments have been in the combat Air Forces, that we have here at Kadena. I bring a pretty good amount of tactical experience to help us be ready for the mission as it continues to evolve and for us to be prepared to bring combat airpower anywhere in the Pacific or around the world.

What do you expect of the Airmen under your command?

I expect my Airmen to be professional Airmen on and off duty. I expect them to live and thrive in the Air Force core values 24/7. Beyond that I expect to be the most tactically proficient Airmen that they can be in their individual combat skill set.

How do you feel about Kadena Air Base and living on Okinawa?

It is our second time here and it's a lot of fun to be back and see some old faces, familiar faces; especially some of the local nationals who work here on base. It's a great place to be; Okinawa has such great weather and it offers opportunities to get back involved in a unique culture as well as travel to mainland and other places in the western Pacific. It's just an all-around great place to live and be.

Who inspires you and why?

Here on Kadena it's really the Airmen here at the Operations Group. Going out and seeing the young men and women honing their skills, maturing as a combat Airmen and helping them along the way to become the best warriors they can be; that's what inspires me, that's what keeps me going when working those long hard hours so they can succeed and have a successful career in the Air Force.