Photo Information

Command Chief Master Sgt. Agustin Huerta, center, watches as Maj. Gen. Eric Crabtree, left, Fourth Air Force commander, passes the flag of command to the newly assigned 452nd Air Mobility Wing commander, Col. Karl McGregor during the change of command ceremony inside the C-17 hangar at March Air Reserve Base, March 27. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Stephen Schester)

Photo by Staff Sgt. Stephen Schester

New wing commander already setting the pace

17 May 2010 | Megan Just

Col. Udo Karl McGregor is often the first person to arrive in the wing headquarters office and he is often the last person to leave, despite his mornings that begin before daybreak with running and a trip to the gym. He sends e-mails from his cell phone long after he's left work, makes surprise visits around base and when he's not in a meeting, he props his office door open and everyone in the hallway can hear him whistling while he works.

But for the new commander of the 452nd Air Mobility Wing, this is not super-human, first-month-on-the-job enthusiasm; this energy is one of Colonel McGregor's trademarks and it is here to stay.

"I will keep the base busy. It is in my nature to bring energy and to expect energy," Colonel McGregor said. "When you're finished with busy, what you have left is success. We'll do some great things together."

Colonel McGregor comes to March Air Reserve Base from Youngstown Air Reserve Station, Ohio, where he was the commander of the 910th Airlift Wing. As the commander of the 452nd Air Mobility Wing, Colonel McGregor will lead the largest wing in the Air Force Reserve.

"The challenge in a wing this large will be for me to incorporate the increased responsibility and the increased number of people and still be able to keep a personal touch. I like knowing people's names. I like knowing faces. I like getting out there and visiting folks, but it becomes harder and harder as organizations get bigger and bigger," Colonel McGregor said.

Background

Colonel McGregor's first name, Udo, is a traditional German name, but he often goes by his middle name, Karl, as it is easier for Americans to pronounce. Colonel McGregor's mother is from Bavaria and he lived in Nuremburg, Germany, for the first eight years of his life. During most of the remainder of his childhood, he lived in Savannah, Georgia, where he enlisted in the Air Force at age 17.

"My whole life has been spent in the Air Force and Air Force Reserve," Colonel McGregor said.

He began his Air Force career with four years as a CH-3 and HH-3 rescue helicopter mechanic and flight engineer before his second assignment as a C-141 Starlifter flight engineer, where frequent trips to exotic countries sparked in him a love of travel.

"I've always had wandering feet. I want to see new things. I stay in a place three or four years, then I'm ready for the next challenge," Colonel McGregor said. "Where other people have very deep roots, my roots are very wide."

Since joining the Air Force, Colonel McGregor has lived in South Carolina, Texas, Maryland, Georgia, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and, most recently, Ohio. He still remains in contact with friends from all the places he's lived, even Airmen he served with when he first entered the Air Force in 1976.

The assignment at March Air Reserve Base is Colonel McGregor's first on the west coast and he is looking forward to the many recreational opportunities in California, especially skiing, mountain biking and going to the beach. "I've been trying to get this direction for 34 years," he said.

Colonel McGregor's wife, Jill, will remain in Ohio with their two sons, 18-year-old Keegan and 14-year-old Kolin, until the school year is out. Keegan has been accepted to several universities, but has not yet decided which one he will attend in the fall.

Expectations

Although Colonel McGregor has only been working at March Air Reserve Base for two weeks, he has already been impressed by the multi-layered support the local community has for the base.

"We have a fence around us but we're not an island. What happens with the community impacts the base, so we need to stay connected," Colonel McGregor said. "We are them. What is a reservist but part of the local community?"

Colonel McGregor has also been impressed with the Team March personnel he's met so far. He said they are on par with high-caliber personnel he's worked with at previous bases.

"The Air Force Reserve has a cultural standard of excellence wherever we go. We have great people because they are all volunteers. They are all doing what they want to do and if they don't like it, they tend to move on," Colonel McGregor said.

In fact, participation and a high level of engagement are two of the qualities Colonel McGregor expects from his reservists and civilian personnel.

"I want you to have passion for your job," said Colonel McGregor. "When I see mediocre performance, it's something I really don't live with very well. I want people to want to be at work, to enjoy what they're doing."

Colonel McGregor also places a great amount of value on personal accountability, including on-the-job tasks, as well as preparation for deployment and promotion.

"I want people to make good cost-benefit analyses, to understand there are negative consequences for poor decision making. Conversely, there are great rewards for making good behavior choices," he said.

Colonel McGregor uses two benchmarks to measure personal accountability: high performance levels and appropriate behavior.

"I expect professional behavior all the time," he said. "It's okay to have fun, but there are limits. We know what those limits are. Let's not step past them."

While Colonel McGregor is adamant about productivity and quality, he is flexible about methods.

"I'm pretty wide open to how you want to do business if the results are good. That doesn't mean the ends justify the means; it just means if you have a way or a style of doing business that works for you, then I want you to be able to do that as part of your workday," Colonel McGregor said. "How you do your work, to me, is irrelevant if the end result is more efficient, effective and, in some cases, innovative. I'm for that."

Fit to Fight

While Colonel McGregor's focus for the next few months will remain largely on the upcoming Nuclear Operational Readiness Inspection and the Unit Compliance Inspection, he has already set a few quality-of-life goals for the base that include building a running track and continuing with plans for expanding the fitness center.

"They are very simple things, but they mean a lot. If I'm going to expect my people to be fit to fight and expect them to test twice a year, I have to give them the resources to do that," Colonel McGregor said.

The Air Force Fitness Program (Fit to Fight), Air Force Instruction 36-2905, becomes effective for reservists July 1 and complying with it is a top priority for Colonel McGregor.

"Fit to Fight has consequences," Colonel McGregor explained. "I talk about Fit to Fight a lot, but it has nothing to do with my personal outlook on fitness. It has everything to do with the consequences of not passing the program."

According to AFI 36-2905, failing the semiannual fitness assessment five times results in a mandatory separation from the Air Force.

"If you want to stay in the Reserve, you have to pass Fit to Fight," Colonel McGregor said. "I don't want to have to discharge anybody, so my job is to make sure people understand what the consequences are of not passing the program so they can make the decision to make the life changes necessary to pass. I am absolutely convinced that anybody can pass Fit to Fight if they practice for the fitness test and understand the basics of good nutrition."



DID YOU KNOW? COLONEL MCGREGOR...
...took eight years to earn his Bachelor's degree. By the time he was done, he had earned 280 credits. "There's a lot of variety in my coursework: psychology, sociology, engineering, calculus, physics, graphic design, computers."

...has a knack for telling historical war tales.

"If you name a topic, I can invariably give you a mostly true story about that topic. Usually, aircrew related."

...does not claim a favorite aircraft.

He has flown H-3s, C-141s, C-5s and C-17s. "How do you pick? It's like picking your favorite child."

...listens to NPR.

"It has everything from ultra-conservative to liberal. It gives me the opportunity to argue with the radio."

...is a bookworm.

"I read continuously." His favorite books include Catch-22 by Joseph Heller, Life, the Universe and Everything by Douglas Adams for the satire and any book written by David McCullough, author of books such as John Adams and 1776, for the pure drama of real life in early America.