‘Second best is never acceptable’ to Nellis general

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Since taking the helm of the Air Force’s most diverse flying wing about a month ago, Brig. Gen. Charles L. Moore Jr. has immersed himself in the lives of airmen and commanders at Nellis Air Force Base to learn their roles and responsibilities.

In a sense, he has been walking around in their boots and sitting in the cockpits of the 130 aircraft flown by the 39 squadrons he oversees since taking charge of the 57th Wing from Brig. Gen. Terrence J. O’Shaughnessy.

"The good news is, from everything I’ve seen, we’re absolutely on track."

His biggest challenge has been to ensure that the fighter pilots who fly simulated combat missions over the sprawling Nevada Test and Training Range have the resources and training time to keep the Air Force ahead of the curve.

"We’ve got the best airmen in the Air Force here doing the job," the 45-year-old general said last week. "But if you do not always look for ways to improve, then you will not be in first place for long. When it comes to the defense of our country, being second best is never acceptable."

His goal is to maximize the pilots’ time in the cockpit, making sure ground crews keep aircraft flying and there is enough fuel, parts and equipment to accomplish the training missions. He also wants to ensure there is no waste, fraud or abuse.

Moore, a 1989 Air Force Academy graduate, is following the footsteps of his father, Charles Lewis Moore Sr., a decorated Army helicopter pilot during the Vietnam War.

Some 40 years later, the younger Moore flew more than 630 combat hours in the Iraq War in F-16 Fighting Falcons as commander of the storied 555th Fighter Squadron and later the 332nd Expeditionary Operations Group. Before coming to Nellis, he commanded the 20th Fighter Wing at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C.

By early fall, the first of the newest Air Force workhorses, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, will arrive at Nellis, starting the task of breaking in the Lightning IIs and their instructor pilots to replace the nation’s aging fleets of F-16 and A-10 aircraft.

Moore said it’s important that the nation has the best technologies in the sky, though current foes like the Taliban and al-Qaida don’t have air forces.

That’s because some "countries out there that wish us harm do have air forces and do have capabilities. And, with the proliferation of technology, those gaps close a little bit every single day," he said.

"So, when we do make that extremely tough decision to go to war, wherever it is and with whomever it is, we want to do so in an overwhelming fashion. We don’t want it to be close."

Moore considers himself a patriot, not a warmonger.

"This is why I joined the Air Force," he said. "I joined to serve. I don’t want a war to go on, nor does anybody else.

"But if there’s one happening and our country decides we’re going to be involved in it, then being there, being involved, contributing to success is what this job is all about."

Contact reporter Keith Rogers at krogers@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0308.