SUMTER, S.C. — Connecting with the civilian community is a goal for leadership at Shaw Air Force Base, and it’s why it held the 2023 Commander’s Breakfast today. The Greater Sumter Chamber of Commerce partners with the base to host this annual event, which gives Sumter residents a chance to learn what Shaw is working on.
“Shaw is a big part of this community and any military town should take a certain level of pride in what their base or any installation does for the community and for the world,” attendee Chip Chase recognizes the base. “Sumter takes great pride in the ‘uncommon patriotism’ mantra here, and this is just another opportunity for kind of a meet and greet but also to hear what they have to say and how things have changed out at the base.”
The Commander’s Breakfast provides residents like Chase an opportunity to hear what’s happening on base and what might be coming up.
“We really don't know what the future might look like,” Col. Kristopher Smith, the commander of the 20th fighter wing, explains. “We just think it's going to be different than what we've been doing the last 30 years.”
Smith says in the upcoming year, there will be an emphasis on creating smaller, agile teams with multi-capable airmen that could move at a moment's notice during combat instead of focusing on building up larger bases
“What we think the future might look like is that large bases are really large targets. So we can’t have all of our stuff and all of our people in places that are really built up, or have the time to really build up a large base at all depending on where the fight occurs,” Smith details. “So what we need to do is focus on having smaller, more agile teams that if we have to do a future fight, that we can move somewhere quickly, establish our readiness and combat power. And then if needed, we can quickly move away from that place if it comes under attack. That way we are more resilient, more survivable and we can provide more combat power over time.”
This tactic is one that resident Shawn Draper says is “brilliant.”
“It shows just how far in the future we're looking,” Draper elaborates. “And that we’re going to be ready.”
For Shaw to focus on this effort, Smith says he’s relying on the Sumter community to maintain a strong connection with the base to help with recruiting more airmen to the area.
“Everything that goes on there really depends on a fantastic relationship with the local community,” Smith details. “People overlook those small interactions. When you see an airman downtown or a soldier downtown, or you come on base for some sort of activity, the opportunity to interact with them or the airman's interacting with folks in the community to really build that connection, it allows them to see them as humans, as different kinds of people, and that our mission is important to really get that importance about our readiness and what we're here to do.”
It’s also a chance for residents like Chamber member Breanna Hughes to learn what opportunities are available for future generations.
“I grew up here 25 years of my life before I even stepped foot on the base at Shaw, so making sure that my children are exposed to that as much as possible is one of my personal goals,” Hughes details. “When we as a community say ‘Team Sumter,’ Team Shaw is a big part of that.”
Smith was joined by Deputy Commander Col. Kevin Hikok and Command Chief Master Sgt. Christopher Griste, who echoed the importance of civilians welcoming airmen into the Sumter community.
“It's really cool to go to sporting events or different things downtown and see our airmen participating in them and being a part of those opportunities,” Hicok explained.
This approach might just help with recruiting, Griste suggested.
“We're facing a real recruiting challenge and that’s across the DOD, I'll tell you the only people that are meeting their recruiting goals are the space force and the Marine Corp,” Griste said.
“The call to service isn’t necessarily everyone’s going to join the military. The bottom line is we're trying to build patriots, better Americans, wherever they are. You are in the middle of your call to service right now being here, helping us being a part of our Team Shaw,” Smith said in his final message to the attendees. “Especially with some of our younger generations of airmen, it’s really easy for them to hole up in their dorm room, not get out and not see what the community has to offer…And so that's why we have these opportunities and why we try to get our airmen out there is we think that they can really be embraced by the community they'll provide more value, more stability and the more connections our airmen have to things that aren't in their job or in their dorm room is that it gives them more resilience. So we're trying to build resilient leaders and this is getting them out in the community, getting them exposure, the community exposure to them really does that for us.”
Anyone with suggestions for how to further connect civilians with the military community at Shaw are welcome to reach out to the base's public affairs team, Smith says.