LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE, Ark. -- “There is a great quote out there that says ‘courage doesn’t always roar, sometimes courage is the quiet voice saying I will try again tomorrow,’” said Col. Angela Ochoa, 19th Airlift Wing and installation commander. “At the end of every day, I remind myself that tomorrow’s a new day and I get to try to be a better Airman, wife, mom and a better leader. That’s what it means to be a Black Knight. We are bold, embrace failure, and learn to grow through failure.”
Ochoa, a Kentucky native, started her Air Force career in 2002 after graduating from the U.S. Air Force Academy. Since then she has been stationed at eight different duty locations, with her previous assignment being the 375th Air Mobility Wing vice commander at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois.
From a very young age, Ochoa said she felt a deep dedication to serve. More importantly, she emphasized the importance of service to others.
For Ochoa, Little Rock Air Force Base is a home of sorts, having spent more than seven years of her 20-year career at The Home of Herk Nation. She’s served in a variety of positions here at Little Rock, including commanding the 61st Airlift Squadron in support of combat operations while deployed to Afghanistan.
She said her return to LRAFB to command the 19th Airlift Wing is a “dream come true,” now bringing her husband, Raul, and their daughters, Elsa and Seanna, back to an installation that has given so much to the Ochoa family.
Her command philosophy focuses on three main priorities, all with the intention of accomplishing Herk Nation’s core mission of providing rapid global mobility while projecting and sustaining agile combat airlift.
“My vision for the 19th Airlift Wing, as we move out together, is that we build courageous leaders, develop mobility warriors and nurture a connected community,” Ochoa said. “If we can do those three things, we can get after the mission that our nation is counting on us for.”
Growing Courageous Leaders
Ochoa said growing courageous leaders is about enabling them to cultivate a culture of trust, dignity, and respect while boldly taking deliberate risk and learning through failure.
She also discussed the importance of being critical about actions as well as empowering leaders up and down the chain of command.
“I’m really big on mentorship, and that’s because I am a product of my mentors,” Ochoa said. “I’ve had many people who have developed and poured into me over the course of my life. Starting with my parents, and then all through life, I’ve had amazing people who have taken me under their wing—they molded me and shaped me, and I want to pay it forward.”
One of the things that inspires and motivates her is a personal family incident that took place here at LRAFB in 2014, when her husband, Raul, suffered from a cardiac arrest.
“That was probably our darkest hour as a family,” Ochoa said. “The only way we made it through was because of the amazing leadership and support we had at this base that lifted us up and helped us get back on our feet again so that I could continue to serve—and my family could continue to serve. I wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for them. I look at this opportunity as a way to give back to the community and Airmen.”
Developing Mobility Warriors
Ochoa said mobility warriors is a character trait or mindset of Airmen who are battle ready for any fight, today and tomorrow; who are disciplined in the fundamentals and push through barriers.
Having served at LRAFB before, Ochoa has witnessed firsthand the ‘Herk mindset’ found in Airmen here, who continue to be at the leading edge of operational excellence, accelerating the changes required to meet the needs of today’s Air Force and win tomorrow’s fight.
“Little Rock Air Force Base serves as the epicenter of the nation’s tactical airlift capability, training and deploying Herk warriors who enable rapid global mobility,” Ochoa said. “You give us a challenge and we’ll figure out how to get it done. Nothing gets in our way because we have the strength and the resolve to go after any problem to complete our mission. That’s what we bring to the fight. It’s that Herk mindset of ‘let’s get it done’ that makes us special. We know how to work hard, we know how to play hard and we’re going to have some fun doing it.”
Ochoa emphasized the importance of developing Airmen by focusing on fundamentals before getting after bigger concepts.
“This wing has done amazing work in the last year,” Ochoa said. “There’s a reputation in Air Mobility Command that the 19th Airlift Wing knows how to do it. We will continue to move forward on that while simultaneously developing mobility warriors.”
She also underscored that part of taking care of each other is taking time to “rest and recharge, reset and refocus.”
“This is important to me because our nation is counting on us,” Ochoa said. “We need to be able to deliver airpower anytime, anywhere. By taking time to rest and recharge, reset and refocus, it allows each of us to be our full selves both at work and at home.”
Nurturing a Connected Community
Lastly, Ochoa said a connected community is a place where every Airman and family member feels cared for and feels a sense of belonging.
She reiterated that The Home of Herk Nation is laid on a foundation of community support, as no other community in AMC has been recognized with the Abilene Trophy three times in the last decade, the Altus Trophy and selected as a Great American Defense Community.
Adding that LRAFB has accomplished a variety of mission-sets and remained a national security asset, in large part, because of its unparalleled community support.
“This base is special because of the people,” Ochoa said. “There is an amazing community here that supports LRAFB and our Airmen. Nobody does it better. I want every Airman, every family member, and every one that works, lives, and plays on Little Rock Air Force Base to feel like they come from a community that knows them and loves them—where they feel like they belong and they can reach their fullest potential.”
Ochoa explained with a sense of pride, that it’s the Herk Nation Airmen that inspire her every day and keeps her mindful of leading with intention.
“If there’s one thing I want every Black Knight to know, it’s that I’m here for you and I care,” Ochoa said. “Chief Hart and I are here for you and we want to hear from you. We know that you all have great ideas and are the ones that get the mission done every day.”
Ochoa and Hart have recently extended invitations to any and all Airmen or family members to come and chat with them every Friday at 1 p.m. at the Walters Community Center in an effort to foster connections and hear input and feedback.
“We want to hear from you,” Ochoa said. “Whether you’re and officer, enlisted, civilian or family member we want to hear your input because we value you and we are here to serve you. If there’s a way we can help you, if there’s something you need, we want to know about it so that we can get after it and fix it. We’re here for you and together we’ll get the mission done. Together we’re going to take this wing to a new height.”