McMahon retires, calls Robins experience ‘remarkable journey’
ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE -- On Nov. 19, 2010, Maj. Gen. Robert McMahon took the stage at the Museum of Aviation’s Century of Flight Hangar and spoke his first words to Robins Air Force Base workers and community members.
“How cool is this?” he asked.
Some 20 months later, the last commander of the Warner Robins Air Logistics Center took the same stage Friday and gave the answer to that question to a crowd of about 400.
“Little did I know on the 19th of November 2010 how truly remarkable this journey would be with this team, a work force that is absolutely remarkable, a leadership team that led better than any team I have ever seen, and a community that embraced in a way that I have never seen before.”
McMahon relinquished command in a ceremony led by Gen. Janet Wolfenbarger, the new commander of Air Force Materiel Command and the Air Force’s first female four-star general. It was her first ceremony since she took the job. She noted that during McMahon’s tenure, on-time production of aircraft has improved from 48 percent to 98 percent, and she also credited him with significant improvements in safety.
“You were the right leader at the right time for this critical Air Force mission,” Wolfenbarger said. “The challenges and difficulties you faced were never easy, but you rose to the occasion every time. Your focus on the mission and your efforts to improve the conditions around you were exactly what we needed. In short, because of you, we are a better Air Force.”
A retirement ceremony was then held, and retired Maj. Gen. Kevin Sullivan, McMahon’s longtime friend and mentor, gave a rundown of McMahon’s entire 34-year career, which included 19 assignment locations and 26 jobs. He said McMahon’s range of experience, including in positions that made him a customer of Robins, made him uniquely suited for his final assignment.
“Without really knowing it, he had been preparing himself for it for 32 years,” Sullivan said. “He understood from a user perspective how important Air Logistics centers are.”
McMahon offered some final words to Robins Air Force Base workers and community members. He has served in the position for less than two years but has led what many have said is the biggest improvement in base operations they have seen.
“Words don’t begin to describe what I’ve had the opportunity to experience during my time here,” he said.
He became emotional at times after stepping down from the stage to hand out gifts to family members and describing what each one had meant to him.
Col. Evan Miller, commander of the 402nd Maintenance Wing, will serve in McMahon’s role on an interim basis until the new Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex is established. The change is part of an Air Force Materiel Command reorganization in which the three air logistics centers will stand down. At Robins, the 402nd Maintenance Wing will become the Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex. A date for the transition has not been set, but it is expected to take place sometime this summer.
The community hasn’t seen the last of McMahon. He and his wife, Hope, a civilian worker at Robins, have bought a house in Houston County.
In an earlier interview McMahon said he didn’t want to discuss future plans, including whether he is interested in the vacant executive director position of the 21st Century Partnership. The community group, which supports the base, expects to announce a new executive director next week.
This story was originally published June 15, 2012 at 12:25 PM with the headline "McMahon retires, calls Robins experience ‘remarkable journey’."