DOVER — Most people can say one person inspired them to choose a profession. Col. Matthew Husemann, the new commander of the Dover Air Force Base, can point to two people: his father, a city manager who worked in several towns, and his uncle who retired as a colonel in the U.S. Air Force himself.
As he puts it, his father taught him about civic leadership. His uncle showed him where he could use those lessons while flying a plane.
“My father treated everyone with respect and honor, it didn’t matter if it was a big city or a small town. As the years passed, I kept hearing from people who used to work for my uncle. They called him the best leader they ever worked for,” Husemann told the Delaware Business Times. “I set a personal goal to be like my dad and my uncle to serve others, and hopefully someday someone will look back and reflect on me like that.”
Husemann assumed the title of commander of the 436th Airlift Wing of the Dover AFB in June. It also made him overseer of Kent County’s second-largest employment hub, with around 10,700 men and women working on the base fixing and flying aircraft, transporting airmen and moving cargo. It famously is also home to the Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations, where fallen military members return home.
The Dover AFB generates $537.1 million in economic impact, with 65% accounted for in payroll expenses for its staff, according to a Fiscal Year 2018 study. But to Husemann, that economic impact is a drop in the bucket when it comes to the responsibility the base has as a community touchstone.
“For instance, the welcoming home heroes ceremony doesn’t happen without the community,” he said. “The Dover community volunteers involvement in that process, everything from taking care of the family to taking care of the airmen to make sure they are treated with the dignity they need to be. Kent County and Dover really surround the base, but at those times, it can really be felt.”
Husemann’s military career has spanned 21 years since he received his degree from the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado, and he’s been assigned to at least seven bases and offices. Those assignments include serving at the Pentagon and in California and Washington, D.C. His last assignment was vice commander of the U.S. Ramstein Air Base in Germany, which taught him how to lead during a global pandemic.
But he noted that Dover shines as a special place among his assignments, ever since his first arrival at the base in 2002. He later returned in 2014 to serve as squadron commander for the Ninth Airlift Squadron, also known as “The Proud Pelicans,” who taught him everything about flying when he first arrived in Dover.
By this point, Husemann’s family also has history in Dover. His wife received a master’s degree from then-Wesley College, and their two daughters and family dogs are very familiar with Killens Pond State Park.
What sets Dover AFB apart from the other bases he’s been to is the community, he explained.
“You have that close interaction from the leadership, but it also goes to the way the community works … those people bridge over our gate and create this family atmosphere, and that’s what’s so amazing about it,” he said.
Since his arrival in June, Husemann has been meeting with top officials to take stock of Dover AFB’s strategic position in the nation’s defense. But he’s also talking with other base leaders about some quality-of-life measures, such as housing (on and off base) and family medical care options. He also has been on a tour of Kent County and meeting with local leaders to understand how the network surrounding the base works.
Not only is the base a huge employment hub; it’s also a draw for many support services to take care of airmen and their families while they are in the service and after they leave it. There are scores of 20-year military retirees who remain in Delaware. The challenge is preparing those retirees for the next chapter.
Husemann pointed to the Department of Defense’s SkillBridge program, which allows service members to serve a six month internship with a matched industry while still serving in the military. But he also hopes the Honorary Commander program can also expose the business community to airmen. That initiative matches Dover and political leaders with squadron commanders to strengthen ties between the Dover AFB and the county.
“It’s good for us to have open dialogues with the business community about this,” he said. “Taking a look at how both those [programs] go forward would be a good work ethic for me as commander to bridge those ties into the community.”
Per the Department of Defense’s policy, Husemann will be stationed in Dover for two years before he is reassigned. During his time in Kent County, he hopes he can empower the airmen to execute the mission with minimal oversight as well as strengthening the bond between other public and private partners in Delaware.
“The bond is already there, but it can grow even stronger. Where I see it growing is how we can take care of our airmen and our families,” he said. “The future of our Air Force is bright, but it’s bright because of our airmen. When they come to Delaware, they will find a great place. It might not be their dream, but they will find a great community when they get here.”
