JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas –
The 802nd Mission Support Group commander uses a series of numbers - "five, six, seven, eight." It's not a cadence he recites. It's an explanation of what the 802nd MSG does at JBSA-Lackland every day.
It's a phrase Col. Richard Houghton has been using for the last two years, but he won't be saying it much longer. Houghton relinquishes command of the 802nd MSG Monday before leaving for his new assignment at Barksdale Air Force Base, La.
"When I describe Lackland to someone, I use 'five, six, seven, eight,'" Houghton said. "'Five, six, seven, eight' stands for five major missions, six wing commanders, seven higher headquarters, and eight in my support group (seven squadrons and the Judge Advocate General).
"There is nowhere on Planet Earth, other than maybe some deployed locations, where you have these kinds of mission sets - training, medical, flight, security and cyberspace - together in one place," he said.
Houghton's been running at full speed since his arrival here in July 2010. He anticipates a slower pace as he returns to his civil engineer roots as command engineer at Air Force Global Strike Command.
"It's going to be a gearshift down, a totally different culture and operations tempo at Barksdale," said Houghton. "Here, I don't really need a calendar every day. The issues of Lackland AFB come at high speed. We're in problem-solving mode from when the sun rises to long after it sets.
"There aren't enough hours in the day for me to thank my team enough for what they do. Senior leaders were constantly thanking me for the service they got or the support they've been given daily. It's gratifying to know our 5,000-person team is getting it done right," he added.
His edict, "Base Support Done Right," is ingrained in the people, and promoting it wasn't difficult, the colonel said about his organization's belief in customer service. In fact, the motto "Base Support Done Right," is boldly displayed as you first enter the support group facility.
"Our coins say it, and you'll hear people shout it out at awards ceremonies, 'Base support,' echoed by, 'Done right,'" he said.
This spring's compliance inspection validated the group's "Base Support Done Right" mantra. The 802nd MSG received an overall excellent rating and several flights were rated outstanding.
"Support at a joint base is a challenge; it's a daily journey with plenty of detours," said Houghton. "We learned some great lessons along the way from our partners at Fort Sam Houston and Randolph. Our final destination is to support all the great missions at Lackland and across San Antonio. We're most effective when we are invisible, and just getting it done.
"It's one thing to do your job," he said, "but the 'done right' part takes a little extra work."
Houghton credited his family for their support and involvement in the Lackland community.
"My wife and children probably got as much base support feedback and suggestions as I did," he said. "They kept me going. We'll all miss Lackland and San Antonio, but the next assignment calls. It's time to hand the baton to a runner with a fresh set of legs and ideas."