Warfield Air National Guard Base -- The executive director of the Air National Guard met with Maryland Air National Guard Airmen to learn about the missions of the 175th Wing during a visit to Warfield Air National Guard Base at Martin State Airport, Middle River, Maryland, March 5, 2022.
Mr. Devin Cate, who retired from the Air Force after 26 years of service, started the day by receiving a brief from U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Jori Robinson, 175th Wing commander, and U.S. Air Force Col. Richard Hunt, 175th Wing vice commander. During the brief, Cate and wing leadership discussed the various mission sets and the future of the wing.
“Our Airmen are the tip of the spear and it is extremely important for them to know that what they do on a day in and day out basis is recognized by people at the highest levels of National Guard leadership,” said Robinson. “Senior leader visits give us an amazing opportunity to highlight and educate National Guard leadership on the multi-domain nature of the missions we perform and the incredible things our Airmen do to support the state and nation.”
After the briefing, Cate spent the remainder of the day touring multiple facilities, speaking with Airmen, and further learning how they serve both domestically and federally. He saw Airmen performing their jobs in A-10 operations, maintenance, and security forces over the wing’s drill weekend.
To round out the visit, Cate stopped by the 175th Cyberspace Operations Group to tour the facility and observe a real-time cyber exercise. The Airmen were training and performing overall base cyber operations.
“The reason I came here is because you can’t really understand a Guard unit until you come and see the people, talk with them, and see what unique piece of the mission they support,” explained Cate. “What I’ve found here is you really have these amazing missions. The A-10 mission, the cyber mission, and all the supporting roles, and what stands out to me is that this wing is innovating, leaning forward and doing some good work.”
Throughout the day Cate expressed his appreciation to 175th Wing Airmen for their dedication and commitment to the mission and gave his coin to numerous Airmen as a thank you for their service.
“It’s great to be recognized by a top leader of the National Guard,” said U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Cameron Lincoln, assistant flight chief for the 175th Security Forces Squadron. “But it’s not just me, it’s recognition for everyone in the room and everyone in my flight.”
As executive director, Cate assists the Air National Guard director in formulating, developing, and coordinating policies, plans, and programs affecting more than 108,000 Air National Guard members and civilians throughout the United State, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands.