Tried and true to Air Force blue: A leader remembered Published Aug. 30, 2007 By Staff Sgt. Jacob R. McCarthy Nellis Public Affairs NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. -- In 1944, a young man from Argyle, Mo., enlisted at the age of 17 in service of his country, unaware his actions would forever change the face of the Air Force, in a career spanning more than four decades. The young man was Gen. Wilbur L. "Bill" Creech, who 35 years after joining the Air Force retired as a four-star general and left a legacy of visionary changes. From engaging the enemy by air in Korea to flying as a pioneering member of the Thunderbirds and commanding Tactical Air Command, General Creech did more than serve - he led. General Creech's influential ideas and policies are still prevalent throughout the Air Force today -- from how pilots fly combat missions to the now famous color of our Air Force buildings, General Creech had a hand in it all. General Creech used first-hand experience as a combat pilot during tours in Korea and Vietnam to restrategize the way today's fighter pilots fight and win wars. Removing the safety of night from the enemy and developing integrated suppression of enemy air defenses are vital tactics that today's fighter pilots can take to the bank. These techniques played a vital role in the Air Force's success in Desert Storm. His superb flying skills made General Creech a natural to become a pioneering member of the Air Force Aerial Demonstration Team, the Thunderbirds. As a Thunderbird, General Creech flew 125 demonstration shows throughout the United States and Central America from 1953 to 1956. He saw the impact the team had as a critical recruiting tool and later was a key player in keeping the Thunderbirds Team a cornerstone of Air Force recruiting. Following a Thunderbird training tragedy in 1982 that killed four of the six pilots, and with Congress' confidence in the team waning, General Creech utilized his experience as a Thunderbird pilot to implement innovative safety measures, essentially keeping the team alive. "While I never personally met General Creech, he does hold a distinct place of honor in the Thunderbirds. He truly advocated to keep the team intact and active after many people wanted to disband it in the early '80s after a four-ship of T-38s crashed and the team transitioned to the F-16," said Lt. Col. Robert Skelton, current member of the Thunderbird team. "While much of what General Creech advocated for the team has just become how we do business, I think the greatest take-away for not just us but the entire Air Force is to truly seek excellence in everything. He truly embodied that and sought to ensure all Airmen did as well." After General Creech's safety measurements were implemented in 1982, the Thunderbirds have had no flight fatalities. It was during his 6 1/2-year tenure as commander of Tactical Air Command (the predecessor of Air Combat Command), when General Creech really brought about the most significant Air Force changes of his career. General Creech's leadership philosophy of decentralizing authority and giving task ownership to those accomplishing the mission proved successful throughout his command of more than 111,300 military and civilian personnel. His leadership strategy fostered pride among Airmen while increasing lower-level leadership effectiveness through focusing his troops on individual values. It was future leaders like Generals Hal M. Hornburg, Charles A. Horner and John P. Jumper who were protégés of General Creech. These men embraced the leadership philosophy and ideals of the general, institutionalizing them into Air Force doctrine during their own commands. General Creech's successful endeavors as TAC commander have been adopted into almost every facet of the Air Force. Even the color of the buildings on Air Force bases today reflect General Creech's personal earth-tone taste and is known today as "Creech Brown." The decentralized style of leadership General Creech developed to increase sorties, give pride to Airmen and influence Air Force leadership policy is now known in the corporate world as Total Quality Management. His book, "The 5 Pillars of TQM," has been read by CEOs of numerous top Fortune 500 corporations and has been translated into eight languages. The book highlights his leadership strategies and human development techniques that are based largely on the proven effectiveness that he saw in Airmen during his time in the Air Force. Due to the significant continuous contributions General Creech has made to the Air Force throughout his career, the Indian Springs Air Force Auxiliary Field was officially renamed in his honor June 20, 2005. General Creech died Aug. 26, 2003, in Henderson, Nev. "General Creech's contributions to our service have been some of the most critical to our successes," said Col. Michael Bartley, 99th Air Base Wing commander. "Today's Air Force and Airmen owe much to the man whose base bearing his name is just a short distance from Nellis. General Creech was a true visionary whose business-like strategies are still being implemented across the Air Force and in the commercial world today." Creech AFB is home to the 432nd Wing, the Air Force's first unmanned aerial systems operational wing.
