2nd Air Force commander moves to new job at Pentagon Published July 11, 2011 By Airman 1st Class Heather Heiney 81st Training Wing Public Affairs KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- Change is an indisputable aspect of the military, and changes of command come around like the red second hand on an analog clock. However, this gives each commander an opportunity to make a difference with the seconds in between. "When I came in I said, 'I work for you, not the other way around,'" said Maj. Gen. Mary Kay Hertog, 2nd Air Force commander. "I'm here to make your job easier by getting you the resources you need and the clear and concise commander's intent that you need." July 21, Hertog will pass the 2nd Air Force legacy to Brig. Gen. Leonard Patrick, current commander of the 502nd Air Base Wing at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. The legacy is one that Hertog said was woven together by its people. "It's been a team effort," Hertog said, "from my staff here at Keesler, to my wing commanders, military training instructors, instructors, civilian and military alike and military training leaders." Hertog said that she looks at the holistic pipeline of military training in order to make sure it's a smoothly-flowing process. She said that during her time as commander, she's tried to focus on the idea of a continuum of training because training starts at recruiting and continues throughout an Airman's entire career. "What a great mission we have," she said. "We get to take people that say, 'I want to make the Air Force the next step in my future,' and we get to turn them into Airmen." Hertog said that she's had the opportunity to travel to all the 2nd Air Force wings and many of its detachments to experience the different training environments firsthand. "I get to see the Airmen in action and I get to see the great instructors we have and what they invest in terms of time and their own experience and effort," the general said. She said that the challenges in leading 2nd Air Force have been what many commanders face, including fiscal constraints and trying to balance end strength. Challenges more specific to the training environment include training the right amount of Airmen in the specialties that need them and ensuring that the training is relevant. "We have to focus our training on the way that our Airmen today coming in learn," she said. "They learn online, they learn with what we call blended learning by inserting technology and they learn at a faster pace than we do." Hertog also said that in today's tech-savvy society, many people are more comfortable spilling their life story behind the glow of a computer screen to someone they've never met than talking to someone face to face. The general said, "It's incumbent upon us as commanders and supervisors to know our Airmen and look them in the eyes and ask, 'What's on your mind?' Let's not get in too much of a hurry because we're on our e-mail. We just can't lose that human touch." The 2nd Air Force mission also includes ensuring that the Joint Expeditionary Tasked, or JET Airmen, are provided with everything they need during their training. This involves a bi-annual training equipment and requirements board. "We've done a really good job of getting their needs known," the general said. "They tell us what they need and we work towards a resolution on problems such as Airmen having to take too much equipment with them into the theater, making sure they have reporting instructions that can be easily understood by everybody and making sure our Airmen are fit enough to go to JET training. "I hope that we've made it easier for people to do their jobs; that was my intent," she said. Soon Hertog will be leaving the sultry Mississippi Gulf Coast for the Pentagon to direct the Sexual Assault and Response Office for the Office of the Secretary of Defense. She'll lead the program for all branches of service. "I think this is going to be a very tough and challenging job and it's a very important job," Hertog said. "What I hope to do is get across to all the services that the Department of Defense is committed to preventing sexual assault and if unfortunately it does occur, we are committed to taking care of the victims and committed to pursuing action against the perpetrators of sexual assault." The general said she would like to ensure that the necessary resources are available to all branches of service and emphasized the importance of a training and education program that begins with the services' accession platforms and builds a climate where victims know that they can come forward and receive the help they need. "The other part of my job is to make sure that other folks outside of OSD know what we're trying to do, such as Congress, because sexual assault is a problem not just inside DOD. It's a nationwide problem, it's a worldwide problem and every bit of prevention and education helps," she said. "The way I look at it is that one sexual assault is one too many." While Hertog is transitioning into a new role, she will be packing her experience at 2nd Air Force along with all her household goods and taking them with her. "I have just loved this job," Hertog said. "I'm certainly going to miss being the commander of 2nd Air Force because of the great mission we have and the great people we get to build every single day. "My husband Herm and I just want to thank everyone for making this assignment so special," the general said.