Maj. Gen. Hoog visits Seymour during farewell tour

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Mariah Tolbert
  • 4th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. --  As Maj. Gen. Stephen Hoog bid farewell to the 9th Air Force, he made a final visit to Seymour Johnson Air Force Base to speak with Airmen, Aug. 31, 2011.

Maj. Gen. Stephen Hoog, commander of the 9AF at Shaw AFB, S.C., and Chief Master Sgt. Robert Brooks, command chief of the 9AF, had breakfast with approximately 40 Airmen on Aug. 31, at the Southern Eagles Dining Facility and at a Commander's call. Hoog and Brooks talked with Airmen about education, fitness, deployments and relationships but mainly the future of the Air Force.

"This is my last stop through Seymour Johnson before I give up my command of the 9AF, in October," said Hoog. "It's my chance to say thanks, for all the hard work that has been done here at Seymour Johnson over the last 13 months. I get to see all the packages everyone puts together about the accomplishments of this base, from winning the Hennessey award to seeing over 14,000 [flight] hours over in Afghanistan. You see the numbers that this base has done and continues to do, and I thank you."

The Air Force plans on getting smaller over the next couple of years, explained Brooks. Airmen will see another rollback and with that rollback, the Air Force will be separating a lot of good Airmen.

"There is Air Force life, and real life, and I think you'd be surprised by the parallels between the two," Hoog said. "Real world and the Air Force have the same expectations about responsibility, integrity and getting the job done and knowing it. If you are successful in the Air Force, you're going to be successful outside when you transition, whether it's volunteerly or from the rollback."

Simply put, the rollback is the Air Force taking Airmen who have negative quality force indicators, something recent and significant in their record that is unfavorable, and separating them.

"If I could offer you any guidance in how to avoid [the rollback], I would simply say stick to your core values," Brooks said. "Integrity in all we do, be completely honest with your work and yourself. Excellence in all we do is the minimum standard. Therefore if you don't want to be caught up in a rollback, you have to be better than that in every category, according to the enlisted force structure, which is the road map for a successful career, and service before self. It does not mean service instead of self. Don't lose yourself in your job, you have to be focused on yourself, your dog, your wedding and your four day weekend, whatever makes you, you."

While at Seymour Johnson AFB, Hoog offered words of advice to Airmen. He stated that in order to be a good wingman, leader and warrior, you have to pass on information to others, which you have learned from previous mentors, instructors and self experience.

"I came in the service 1987, because I didn't know what to do with my life," said Brooks. "We weren't a country at war. You all entered the service in a time of war, with the knowledge we are going to send you into harm's way more than once. So that makes you better Americans than me, and I am sincerely proud to serve you."

As Maj. Gen. Hoog bids farewell to the 9AF and moves to the 11AF in Alaska, he will earn his third star as a Lt. Gen. select, Hoog not only continues to move forward with his career, but also continues to keep in contact with Airmen, to better understand what needs to be done, and to thank them for their accomplishments, hard work and effort.