Meet the Commander: C-130 pilot flies wing to new heights

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Katrina R. Menchaca
  • 374th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan --  During World War II, Army Gen. George C. Patton Jr. said, "Lead, follow or get out of the way." Although those words were spoken more than 60 years ago, they still ring true and remain a driving force behind one of Team Yokota's newest leaders.

Col. Mark R. August took command of the 374th Airlift Wing June 29, but is no stranger at being a commander. August recently returned from a yearlong deployment as the 386th Expeditionary Operations Group commander in Southwest Asia. Prior to that he served as the commander of the 37th Airlift Squadron at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, which was one of the most demanding challenges of his career.

"While the base [37 AS] was still flying C-130 aircraft built between 1962-1964, they were being upgraded to the C-130J Hercules aircraft built in 2010, which added an additional four to six months of training for pilots and loadmasters," said the 19-year Air Force veteran, who supported operations Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom and New Dawn.

The transition occurred simultaneously, while supporting three combatant commanders, August said.

"It was by far the hardest, but definitely the most rewarding thing I've done in my Air Force career," he said. "Being able to pull it all off was amazing."

Well before his career began, this North Kingstown, R.I., native was a cadet at the U.S. Air Force Academy, where he graduated with a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering in 1993.

"My wife, who is also my high school sweetheart, pushed me off toward the Air Force Academy and later toward pilot training," said August. "I would say she is definitely the person who has had the biggest impact and influence on my life."

The commander recalled one of his fondest Air Force memories was receiving his call sign while serving downrange early in his career.

"My call sign - Buzz - goes back to when the first 'Toy Story' movie had just come out," explained the command pilot with more than 3,500 flying hours. "I was on my first deployment hanging out, as all aircrew members do, when each crew started to do their own type of signature. Our crew started growing mustaches and another crew started shaving their heads.

"A good friend of mine looked at me and said, 'You know, if we shaved your head and painted it purple you'd look just like the movie character, Buzz Lightyear. Little did I realize at that moment in a hotel lobby in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, West Africa, that it would be a call sign that would follow me for the rest of my career," August said.

So far, his career has spanned 19 years and 11 assignments around the world with his 12th being a commander at Yokota.

"I've been familiar with the base, the people and what it brings to the Pacific theater," the commander said. "I would like to see the base head toward being the 'Best Wing in the Pacific' within the next two years."

Since taking command of the only airlift hub in the Pacific theater, he remarked on the wing's numerous accomplishments and how its well on the way to becoming the best.

"While visiting all the squadrons and groups, I see we have a lot of talented Airmen. When I see us winning Air Force-level awards across the base, I know we have the raw material," he said. "All we have to do is get everyone onboard, set a standard for the wing and move forward from there."

As a firm believer in the profession of arms, August knows the importance and difficulty of serving in today's military.

"We have a pretty tough job," he said. "I'm not just talking about Airmen; we are all on call 24/7. There is never a down moment. Whether you are on leave or it's the weekend, the phone still rings."

Although his job is demanding and calls for working late hours, sitting in on long meetings and attending regular social engagements, August always finds time to spend with his wife, Cristen, and their four children. He even finds a little time to tinker with several hobbies to unwind.

"I really enjoy photography and working on and building computers," the commander said. "It's a lot of fun to take a box of parts and put it all together. So, when you hit the power switch for the first time and all the lights come on - all the magic happens. I end up using the computer for editing photos and other things. It's a lot of fun."

Since this is his first time serving in the Pacific theater, August has come to appreciate the people, customs and culture of Japan. Another thing he appreciates is the food.

"I've been all around the world and tried a lot of different food. I haven't really found anything I don't like," said August, who is an Italian food aficionado. "It's kind of fun to try the local cuisine. I could probably eat sushi twice a day and be okay with that. My family and I really love Japan so far."

So far, August is leading the 374 AW toward its goal of being the best in the Pacific - everyone else can follow or get out of the way.