New AFSVA commander emphasizes family, service

  • Published
  • By Steve Warns
  • AFCEC Public Affairs
Col. Donna Turner emphasized two virtues in her new role as commander of the Air Force Services Activity. 

“I firmly believe, regardless of your position and rank, it’s all about serving and learning,” Turner told AFSVA Airmen July 14 at the Bob Hope Theater here. “I love to give back, and I love to serve.

“To see all the things we develop and deliver to the field to build ready and resilient Airmen and their families, I can’t tell you how happy and excited I am to be here.”

During her first commander’s call with the unit, Turner introduced Airmen to her “ABCDE” philosophy of life. The A stands for the Air Force core values of integrity, service and excellence; B for balance; C for compassion; D for dialogue; and E for expertise.

Turner played a video with the theme “Your family is our family” that illustrated what AFSVA brings to the Air Force mission. 

“I love that video,” she said. “Sometimes, it brings a little tear to my eye because that’s why we deliver the programs in services that we do. It doesn’t get any better than that, in my opinion.”

Service and family were impressed upon Turner as a child growing up in Mississippi and later as a cadet at the U.S. Air Force Academy. 

Turner, who commanded the 62st Air Base Group at Los Angeles AFB, California, before assuming command of AFSVA earlier this month, described her approach to her new job as “open-door.”

“I’m not always in my office,” she said. “I’m hoping to be out and about getting to know each and every one (in the unit) on a professional and personal basis.”

For Turner, this means being energetic, outgoing and attuned to Airmen’s wants and needs.

“You need to get to know the folks around you,” she said. “You don’t know how much a simple ‘Hey how are you doing’ (means). You truly never know how much reaching across and asking that question and trying to get to know people helps brighten their day. 

“If I have a great attitude, then it’s contagious and it spreads throughout the organization,” she added.

Turner also stressed the importance of AFSVA.

“I also firmly believe that we have a role in our Air Force mission, from cradle to grave, whether it be watching airplanes, building or acquiring satellites and defending those gates, everything we do enables the Air Force mission, and I thank you for that.

“I will say thank you a lot and I will tell you a lot that I have the best job in the Air Force, and I truly do mean that,” she said.

(Editor’s Note: The Air Force Services Activity is a primary subordinate unit of the Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center.)