New wing commander shares his philosophies

  • Published
  • By Amy Rollins
  • Skywrighter Staff
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Oh. --  Col. John Devillier assumed his position as commander of the 88th Air Base Wing at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base July 17. Devillier comes to Wright-Patterson AFB following an assignment at Dover AFB, Del., where the colonel served as Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations commander. The Skywrighter recently sat down with Devillier to obtain his viewpoints and help the base community become better acquainted with him.

Skywrighter: What most excites you about coming to Wright-Patterson AFB?
Devillier: It's the opportunity to work with all the great Airmen we have here. To be back at base level, executing the mission, is wonderful. To have the opportunity to command a wing is very rare for a colonel. I'm just excited to be working alongside our Airmen, rolling up my sleeves and supporting our mission partners here at Wright-Patterson AFB.

Skywrighter: What are your main priorities as commander of the 88 ABW?
Devillier: My number one priority is the security of this installation and to ensure our mission partners have a safe environment to perform their mission supporting the warfighter. Our number one job as an air base wing is to take care of our mission partners so they execute their missions supporting the warfighter.

Another priority is furthering the culture of dignity, honor and respect. How we treat each other is hugely important and we all deserve to be treated with those three words. Truly, it starts at the top. Leadership sets the tone for those below them.

A third priority is to further the partnerships we have with the community. We have a great community here in the Miami Valley. They love Wright-Patterson AFB, and we love them. I plan to be very involved with our team members off base because what impacts Wright-Patterson AFB impacts the community and vice versa. Wright-Patterson AFB's recent identification as the No. 1 Air Force base further attests to this great relationship.

Skywrighter: Are there any special preparations you have made for this assignment?
Devillier: I had to go through special training designed specifically for incoming wing commanders. The Air Force brought in mentors - previous wing commanders - to help guide the new wing commanders through the process. The scope of this wing is huge, and it's rare to find someone who's an expert in every area of a wing. The course helped the wing commanders "know where the rocks are" - where you need to look and what you need to be focused on. (Former 88 ABW commander) Col. (Cassie) Barlow and I spent some time talking on the phone about issues, and then we spent several days together prior to the change of command.

Skywrighter: A year from now, what would you like to say you accomplished in that time?
Devillier: That I've made Wright-Patterson just a little bit better, in some form or fashion. That I made a difference in somebody's life - an Airman, a civilian or somebody who works here. That's really what I'd like to be known for.

I try to take that perspective into every job, including this one. I have huge shoes to fill because this organization was well-run by Colonel Barlow - she's such a class act.

Skywrighter: What's a little-known fact or aspect about you or your command style you would like our readers to know?
Devillier: I like to put Airmen first, be a servant leader and take care of the Airmen so they can take care of the mission. That's truly the role of any leader. We have to take care of those around us.

Skywrighter: What do you like to keep on your desk? What's a memento that means a lot to you?
Devillier: I have some very special things from my family. They are figurines carved out of willow. One of them is three girls with a father figure; another is a widow holding a folded American flag. That figure is from my last job at AFMAO. The other special pieces are handprints from my then-little girls. Those go with me everywhere. I am blessed with my family.

Skywrighter: Can you tell us a little bit about your family - your wife, Kathryn, and your daughters Celina, Amanda and Breana?
Devillier: I am married to my high school sweetheart. We'll be married 23 years in August. My dad is a retired chief master sergeant; he joined the Air Force when he was 17. I'm very proud of him. My wife is also a military dependent; her father is a retired Air Force officer. This is in our DNA. My ladies are special. We ask a lot of our military families, and I've had to ask a lot of my ladies. This was our 12th permanent change of station -- that's a lot of moves. I try to keep that in perspective.

Skywrighter: When you're not working, how do you like to spend your time? What do you like to do for physical training (PT)?
Devillier: I am an avid gamer - Halo, Titanfall, the kind of video games that are on Xbox, and Airmen are welcome to try and figure out my gamer tag. I've always enjoyed gaming since I was a kid. It relaxes me. I'm a huge sports fan. I like to watch college football - Florida State is my team. For PT, I'm a runner. I won't be running in the Air Force Marathon since I'll be "running" it this year. But running the marathon is on my bucket list.

Skywrighter: What has been the greatest surprise since your arrival at Wright-Patterson AFB?
Devillier: I'm not surprised but the community is so friendly to the military. Also, the professionalism I've seen on Wright-Patterson, from the moment I came through the gate on July 12 and saw the defender on the gate, to the young lady working at the lodging desk. Everybody's been so friendly, when they didn't know who I was. It speaks well for Team Wright-Patterson about the professionalism they have for what they do for our nation.

The commander's final comment: I am certainly honored to be here. I am so proud to be part of the "Mighty 88th and I look forward to serving with not only the men and women who call the 88 ABW home, but our mission partners and the whole community. This is an incredible opportunity, and I and my family are so proud to be part of the Miami Valley. I look forward to getting out and meeting everybody. I like to shake hands so be prepared!