Commander discusses goals, welcomes questions Published July 10, 2009 By Mike Molina Editor DENVER -- "One Team, One Fight" is often used to describe joint service cooperation. For Brig. Gen. Kevin Pottinger, the phrase exemplifies his top priority as commander of the Air Reserve Personnel Center. "My No. 1 goal is to build a strong ARPC team," General Pottinger said in an interview here recently. "I want everyone to feel like they are an equally important member of this team. The quarterback is not any good unless he has his linemen or receivers out there." ARPC Airmen and civilian employees provide personnel and administrative support to nearly 1 million Air Force Reserve Airmen, Air National Guardsmen and retirees. After assuming command at ARPC nearly three months ago, General Pottinger said it's important for him to understand everyone's job at the center. He said he recently put on some headphones in ARPC's contact center and took a call. "A customer called in, I told him who it was, and we laughed about it a bit," he said. "For me, it's all part of understanding what everybody does around here. I like to know so I'm able to help our folks and get them the support that they might need." While he likes visiting employees in their workcenters, the general also said it was important for Airmen and civilians to attend and ask questions of him during his quarterly commander's calls. "To me, commander's call is the perfect opportunity for all of our folks to hear directly from me," he said. "It's a chance for me to pass along the information that I get from Air Force leadership." For Airmen who are unable or hesitant to ask questions at commander's calls, the general said he encourages people to use the Commander's Action Line on the ARPC Intranet. "The action line is kind of like an extension of commander's call or an extension of me walking around and talking to people -- it's just another way of communicating," he said. "It's an opportunity to ask a question or voice a concern and get a response from me." The general also said he considers deployments critical to improving the breadth of experience of ARPC employees. "If there's an opportunity for a person -- civilian or military -- to deploy, particularly to one of these intense environments, as in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, then it improves our mission here," he said. "When they come back and are sitting here and they get that phone call, the person here knows exactly what that Airmen is going through." General Pottinger will hold his next commander's call Aug. 5 at 1 p.m.