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931st welcomes new deputy commander

  • Published
  • By 1st Lt. Zach Anderson
  • 931st Air Refueling Group Public Affairs
MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. --  Sitting behind the desk in his new and still undecorated office, Col. Paul R. Wietbrock had to chuckle at the irony of his new location.

"All of those years flying the KC-135 (Stratotanker) and I don't think I've ever touched down here at McConnell," he said with a smile.

Now, after more than 20 years spent flying the tanker that serves as the backbone of the Air Force's refueling fleet, the colonel has finally "touched down" at the Air Force's largest tanker base.

Wietbrock has been named the new deputy commander of the Air Force Reserve 931st Air Refueling Group here.

It's a position he said he's very happy to be taking on.

"I'm excited about being here. These types of opportunities are few and far between. I know this unit has great people, and the community here is great," said Wietbrock.

Wietbrock's previous assignment was with the 434th Air Refueling Wing, Grissom Air Reserve Base, Ind., where he served as deputy commander of the 434th Operations Group. He began serving at Grissom as a Reservist in 1998, after spending 12 years on active duty.

While at Grissom, Wietbrock had once served as deputy operations group commander to current 931st commander, Col. William H. Mason. Wietbrock said he believes his experience working with Mason in the past will benefit the 931st.

"That interaction time where people sort of feel each other out is already done," said Wietbrock. "He and I are already in tune, and there is a trust level there already. It really is an advantage because we know each other and have worked together before."

"I'm very pleased to have Col. Wietbrock take the position of deputy commander of the 931st," said Mason. "I know from working with him in the past that he brings a wealth of leadership knowledge and experience to the group, and I know he will make a very positive contribution here."

As deputy commander, Wietbrock said he believes his job is to support the commander's objectives and provide support to the Airmen of the 931st.

"My role is to help Col. Mason progress in where he sees the group going. Incorporated into that is to provide continuous support to our people," said Wietbrock. "As a Reserve unit, we have to make it so that people enjoy coming through the gates of the base to serve. As our commitments continue to rise, we need them to be here and we need them to enjoy their jobs."

To that end, Wietbrock said he hopes to serve as a liaison to the commander for the group.

"Hopefully, I can get the objectives Col. Mason wants and interact with our people enough so I can get what they want as well and press those issues so we can make this an all-around better place. It's a great place right now, but we can always make it better."

He continued, "I see myself as a catalyst to push what the group needs and incorporate that with what Col. Mason's objectives are."

A traditional Reservist, Wietbrock works as a commercial airline pilot in his civilian capacity. He spoke of the importance of maintaining a focus on the traditional Reservists perspective in the command section of the 931st.

"It's vital to have that perspective for the traditional Reservists. The most valuable thing we can give the traditional Reservists is time, because we are taking them away from their job and their family. We have to organize their time and ensure that when they are on base, it is quality training and we are never wasting their time. Our job is to remove all the stumbling blocks so that when they are on base, they can get done what they need to get done," said Wietbrock.

As he assumes his new role at McConnell, Wietbrock said he looks forward to working with the active duty 22nd Air Refueling Wing on Total Force Integration Initiatives, while maintaining a focus on the morale and well-being of the Airmen of the 931st.

"There is a challenge here to continue to push the Total Force Integration piece and make it transparent to the public just how integrated the Reserve component is with the active duty here. With the responsibilities shifting more and more to the Guard and Reserve, it's important people realize the power and potential of the Reserve unit," said Wietbrock.

He continued, "Additionally, there is a challenge to maintain the morale of our Reserve Airmen. With changes in the Air Force, deployments, our operational tempo and other issues, it's up to the leadership to reassure folks about the job we are doing and make things run as smoothly as possible to help keep people motivated and excited."

Wietbrock admitted working at a new base may take a little getting used to after serving for the last 14 years at Grissom ARB. But he said more than anything, he's looking forward to this new phase in his Air Force Reserve career.

"I'm excited to be here and I'm really looking forward to the challenge of this position," he said. "That challenge is helping to get this group to the next level and to help people to continue to perform better. If we perform better, we as a group look better, and looking and performing better is good. Good things come from that."