Command chief to leave Robins, head back to basic training

Published March 9, 2007
By Kendahl Johnson
78th Air Base Wing Public Affairs

ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- While Georgia may continue to be on his mind, a rare career opportunity has the 78th Air Base Wing's top enlisted member preparing for a San Antonio stroll.

Chief Master Sgt. Kevin Ludwig, the 78th ABW command chief master sergeant, was selected as the superintendent for the 737th Training Group at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, and superintendent for Air Force basic military training. He will depart Robins AFB in April.

Including military training instructors, Chief Ludwig will be responsible for the supervision of 469 permanent party Airmen. He will also oversee the training of all new recruits, and expects to put approximately 22,000 Airmen through training annually.

"I am very excited about this opportunity," Chief Ludwig said. "I had a previous assignment there as an instructor and I enjoy that environment. I enjoy working with the new recruits. Every assignment I have ever had has been great, but this is one assignment I have always hoped would happen."

Chief Ludwig, who joined Team Robins as command chief in May 2006, said he has enjoyed the brief time he spent here. He said the challenges he faced here helped him learn and grow as a leader.

"Of all the jobs I have had in the Air Force, this one has been perhaps the most challenging and the one where I have learned the most, mainly because of the diversity of this installation," Chief Ludwig said.

He said the things he accomplished in his time as command chief were a collective effort. He is particularly pleased with how the different units throughout the base have started to come together as a team.

"Leadership has done a good job of improving unity and developing the culture that although we may work in different units and under different major commands, we all belong to the same organization -- the U.S. Air Force," the chief said. "In the end, we all have the same goal and that is to serve our country and fight the global war on terror."

Col. Theresa Carter, 78th ABW commander, said the chief has done a "phenomenal job" at Robins, but agreed to release him for consideration for the basic military training superintendent position and highly recommended him to the commanders at Lackland AFB.

"When I considered this issue from a larger Air Force perspective, there is no one better qualified for that position than Chief Ludwig," Colonel Carter said. "He not only brings prior military training instructor experience to the table, but also has a wealth of operational experience - at the base, MAJCOM, air staff and command chief levels - that will ensure the Air Force is producing the highest quality Airmen to lead us now and over the next 20 years.

It is a win for the Air Force, a win for the wing and for Robins," she added. "With Chief Ludwig at the helm, we'll receive Airmen who live our core values daily and uphold the highest standards of excellence in all they do."