AN AIR BASE IN THE MEDITERRANEAN REGION — From chaos comes order. Or, at least, “organized chaos,” according to Capt. Brian Thomas, executive officer for Col. Terry New, the commander of the 401st Air Expeditionary Wing. He was describing the creation of an expeditionary wing, the joining of disparate parts into one unified whole. Thomas knows about this. His job back at Aviano Air Base, Italy, is executive officer for the commander of the 16th Air Expeditionary Wing. “You can’t apply a cookie cutter mentality,” he said. “You have no idea what you do or do not need until...
