72nd ABW/CV reflects on team accomplishments

Published June 29, 2011
By Brandice J. O'Brien
Tinker Public Affairs

TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- Col. Scott Merrell will soon bid farewell to Tinker. The 72nd Air Base Wing vice commander is off to Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., where he will serve as the director of Logistics, Communications and Security for the 14th Air Force.

Reflecting on his time here, Colonel Merrell said there are many worthy accomplishments the 72nd ABW achieved, but he cannot take credit for the success; it was truly a team effort. Overall, it was a great experience which has, undoubtedly, prepared him for his next adventure.

"I have been blessed to be surrounded by people who are smarter than me, clearly better looking than me, and that are truly committed to excellence," Col Merrell reported. "They were nice enough to invite me to work alongside them -- the credit belongs to them.

"This job has made me smarter and more reflective. It taught me to take a step back and take a broader look at things before I make a decision," Colonel Merrell said. "It's also taught me to listen, especially to the people I work with, because we have so many smart people with creative ideas -- it's such a team effort."

Since arriving in 2009 from the Pentagon, Colonel Merrell said he has strived to recognize those who do good work, plus achieve and further the needs of Tinker, the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center and the Air Force.

In his tenure, Tinker and the air base wing have accomplished several feats including passing the previous operational readiness inspection with flying colors, bettering the Wounded Warrior program and increasing funding for the sexual assault program.

"If there's one really good success that I feel a part of it's in building partnerships with other folks on the base," the colonel said. "I worked really hard to be open to criticism and to share information with my fellow vices out there, and our union partners, as well, and I think simple actions like that went a long way to fix problems and improve relationships. Today we have great relationships -- across the board."

His supervisors and colleagues aren't surprised by his role to accomplishments.

"Colonel Scott Merrell has not only been an exceptional vice wing commander ... he, his wife Alecia and their son AJ became good friends to me, my wife Leslie and the men and women of the 72nd Air Base Wing! Business wise, I couldn't have asked for a better Wingman and partner," said Col. Bob LaBrutta, 72nd ABW and Tinker installation commander. "During his tenure, he led the wing's preparations for the 2009 Operational Readiness Inspection where the OC-ALC earned an overall 'excellent;' he was critical to the wing's ability to execute the air expeditionary force mission where we processed 5,300 members and 2,500 tons of cargo in support of Operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, Unified Response and Odyssey Dawn; and under his stewardship a number of our organizations excelled -- the 72nd Medical Group earned an 'outstanding' by the 2011 Air Force Health Services inspection and our 72nd Operations Support Squadron's Weather Office garnered an 'excellent' by the 2011 Standardization and Evaluation Program.

"In addition to these accomplishments, Scott was an outstanding mentor spending many hours contributing to the growth and development of officers, enlisted, and civilian members across Team Tinker! To say we're going to miss the Merrells is an understatement ... our loss is certainly 14th Air Force's gain," Colonel LaBrutta said. "We wish Scott, Alecia and AJ only the best -- and know they'll continue to make big contributions to the Air Force in the years ahead!"

Bob Sandlin, 72nd ABW director of Staff, agreed.

"He has been a true 'hands-on' vice and has been actively involved and engaged in every aspect of the 72nd ABW mission," Mr. Sandlin said. "His sound leadership, guidance and mentorship were key to our wing's successful 2009 ORI and has also helped tremendously in our preparation for our upcoming unit compliance inspection in July. Colonel Merrell took care of business and got things done."

Colonel Merrell said "a host of folks do good work," including wing commanders, directors, Voluntary Protection Program members, our local Union members, all our mission partners and, "a true blessing here in Oklahoma," our community partners -- together, they are responsible for the wing's successes. He was just here to support them and Tinker's senior leaders.

"We have great people at Tinker -- none better -- so I hope people remember that I did more to thank and reward people than to chastise or criticize them," Colonel Merrell said. "I hope when people came to me for help, I actually tried to help them and they felt like I did help. And, on those few bad days that I had while here, I hope I still put on a brave face, for the most part, and pressed ahead. I think, as a vice, it's almost better that people don't see you moving the chess pieces much, at all. Your job is to further your boss and his boss's goals and to do so in a way that's unobtrusive so that there is a clear line of authority and direction. I know that tends to make you fall off the radar sometimes, but it's an important role, nonetheless.

"One of the things they teach you, kind of tongue-in-cheek, at commander's school for vices is, 'like children, vices should be seen and not heard.' A vice should know when not to talk or be seen," Colonel Merrell said. "It'll be interesting to see what people remember."