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Commander leads Ninth AF with emphasis on strong supervision, excellence, respect

By Senior Airman Aubrey White, 4th Fighter Wing Public Affairs / Published September 09, 2013

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SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. -- The Ninth Air Force commander shared some of his key leadership philosophies with 4th Fighter Wing Airmen during his first trip here, Aug. 21-23.

During his visit, Maj. Gen. Jake Polumbo, a command pilot with more than 4,000 flying hours, toured the air traffic control tower, flew in an F-15E Strike Eagle, and met with community leaders.

"I've noticed there's a great deal of pride in this unit - in every one of the squadrons I've visited - and it makes me feel good," Polumbo said. "I am truly impressed with the pride of the organization."

In addition to his tour, Polumbo took the opportunity to speak with mid-level supervisors about leadership, priorities and expectations.

"The command chief and I have emphasized that strong supervision will get us through tough times," he said. "Strong supervision needs to be applied at the mid-supervisor level.

"I ask those supervisors to make sure we keep doing our job well every day; to do their job with distinction and real attention to detail," he said.

He also offered Airmen advice for managing American taxpayer money in the current fiscally constrained environment known as sequestration.

"Each Airman needs to take a careful approach with mission expenditures," the general said. "The United States has a significant federal deficit and we all must be responsible in the way we spend money."

When it comes to surmounting these challenges and supporting Seymour Johnson's no-fail missions, the general reaches for our core values.

"We must maintain high standards and understand that 'excellence in all we do' means in everything we do, even if it's on our off-duty time," Polumbo said.

That includes how Airmen treat each other.

"Everywhere you work, side-by-side with other Airman, think about how important it is to respect that individual for what he or she is doing that day," the general said.

Ninth Air Force's command spans across eight major combat wings throughout the Southeast United States focusing on the Airmen who conduct Organize, Train and Equip missions in support of Air Combat Command.
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