CAG allows commander to focus on broader mission

Published Dec. 24, 2008
By Airman 1st Class Wes Carter
30th Space Wing Public Affairs

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- The wing's highest-ranking Airman has a very busy schedule. To make that schedule manageable, wing leadership relies on support from the Commander's Action Group.

Although the title seems to imply that the CAG is more than one person, the 30th Space Wing CAG is 2nd Lt. Lauren Neely. As the commander's go-to person for event information, ideas on speeches and a plethora of other day-to-day activities that a commander might face, Lieutenant Neely looks at her job as a unique way to impact all of Vandenberg's missions.

"My job is to take care of the small things on the colonel's plate so he doesn't have to worry about them," Lieutenant Neely said. "It allows him to focus on big picture items and not be sidetracked by things like having to track down airline reservations for a TDY."

Having someone handle tedious tasks might seem like a luxury, but considering what a wing commander is faced with, it allows for more efficient leadership.

"The colonel is a busy person," Lieutenant Neely said. "It is a job where he is always going, and my job is to make sure that when he is going, it is for the betterment of a larger populous."

Like any job, the enjoyment is often due to the perception of the employee. Lieutenant Neely is making the best of the opportunity to work hand-in-hand with wing leadership.

"This has been a real learning experience," she said. "Working for Colonel Buck has given me the opportunity to see what goes on behind the scenes and what type of problems that a wing commander is faced with daily."

This is knowledge that might come in handy for the lieutenant later in her career, especially when one considers the career path that Col. David Buck took to become the 30th SW commander. As a major, Colonel Buck was a CAG himself, working for Air Force Space Command.

Working on the commander's staff is sure to allow for some excitement and stress, but Lieutenant Neely takes both as a way to better herself as an Airman.

"The entire experience has and will continue to challenge me to a point that will ultimately benefit me in the end," she said. "I love my job because of those challenges and look forward to coming to work every day."