Published: February 10, 2026 | By Gabriel Denny

I took command of the 341st Comptroller Squadron in June 2020—right in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mission: Keep financial operations running for America's largest nuclear missile wing. Protect 140 team members. Maintain readiness. Oh, and figure out how to do all of that when no one knows what's happening tomorrow.

Here's what crisis leadership actually looks like—and what your business can learn from it.

The Challenge: Mission-Critical Operations in Chaos

Most businesses could pivot to remote work during COVID. We couldn't.

Nuclear deterrence doesn't pause for pandemics. Financial operations—payroll for 8,500+ people, budget execution for $720M, audit compliance—had to continue without interruption.

But we also had to:

• Protect our people from COVID exposure
• Adapt to constantly changing guidance
• Manage fear and uncertainty
• Maintain morale when people couldn't see each other
• Make fast decisions with incomplete information

Welcome to command.

Lesson 1: Communicate Constantly (Even When You Don't Have Answers)

The worst thing you can do during a crisis is go silent.

People need to hear from leadership—even if you don't have all the answers. Silence breeds rumors, fear, and paralysis.

So I over-communicated:

• Weekly updates to the entire squadron
• Daily check-ins with flight commanders
• Open-door policy (virtual and physical)
• Transparency about what we knew and what we didn't

When guidance changed (which happened weekly), I explained why and what it meant for us. When we made tough calls, I explained the reasoning.

The business lesson: During crisis, your team needs to hear from you more, not less. Don't wait until you have perfect information. Share what you know, acknowledge uncertainty, and keep talking.

Lesson 2: Solve Problems, Don't Wait for Guidance

Early in the pandemic, we faced a lodging billing nightmare.

Airmen returning from leave had to quarantine in base lodging. But who pays for quarantine lodging? The individual? The unit? What if they can't afford it? What's the policy?

There was no clear guidance. We could have waited for someone to tell us what to do. Instead, we wrote our own strategy.

I drafted a direct billing process that covered quarantine lodging, eliminating fiscal risk for airmen while protecting the government. It saved 300 man-hours of administrative hassle and removed a major stressor for returning troops.

The Wing Commander loved it. Other units adopted it.

The business lesson: Crises create ambiguity. Leaders who wait for perfect guidance lose time. Leaders who solve problems and move forward win.

Lesson 3: Take Care of Your People First

Early in my command, I made it clear: mission first, but people always.

We adapted work schedules to reduce exposure. We let people work remotely where possible. We check in on mental health. We celebrated wins (even small ones) to maintain morale.

When someone needed time off for family issues, we didn't make them jump through hoops. We trusted them and supported them.

The result? My team delivered better results because they felt supported, not abandoned.

We achieved #1 global ranking in our first year. We won 11 AFGSC/FM and wing/group quarterly awards. We had BTZ promotions and OTS selections.

Not despite COVID—during COVID.

The business lesson: Companies that treat employees as disposable during crises pay for it in turnover, morale, and productivity. Take care of your people, and they'll deliver.

Lesson 4: Focus on What You Can Control

There was a lot we couldn't control:

• When vaccines would be available
• What the next guidance would say
• How long COVID would last
• What restrictions would be imposed

So we focused on what we could control:

• How we communicated
• How we adapted processes
• How we supported each other
• How we executed the mission

That clarity—knowing what's in your control and what's not—reduces anxiety and increases action.

The business lesson: Crises amplify things you can't control. Don't obsess over them. Focus energy on what you can influence. That's where leadership makes a difference.

Lesson 5: Crisis Reveals Weak Systems

COVID exposed every fragile process we had:

• Processes that required in-person signatures (why?)
• Meetings that should have been emails
• Workflows that depended on one person
• Communication channels that didn't scale

We didn't just patch these problems—we fixed them permanently.

We digitized workflows. We cross-trained people. We eliminated unnecessary steps. We built systems that worked remotely and in-person.

When the crisis ended, we were more efficient than before it started.

The business lesson: Don't waste a good crisis. The systems that break under pressure need to be rebuilt, not just band-aided. Use the crisis to improve permanently.

Lesson 6: Small Wins Matter

During long crises, morale erodes. People feel like they're just surviving, not progressing.

So we celebrated small wins:

• Quarterly awards
• Promotions
• Process improvements
• Team milestones

We didn't wait for the crisis to end to recognize success. We found reasons to celebrate progress along the way.

That kept momentum. It reminded people that we weren't just surviving—we were still winning.

The business lesson: Long crises drain energy. Leaders who celebrate progress keep teams motivated. Don't wait for "normal" to return—find wins now.

The Results

By the end of my first year as commander (June 2020 - June 2021):

• #1 global ranking in our career field
• 11 AFGSC/FM and wing/group quarterly awards
• Zero COVID-related mission failures
• Labor costs reduced by $5M while increasing effectiveness
• Production time reduced by 80%
• Team morale at an all-time high (confirmed by surveys and retention)

We didn't just survive COVID. We thrived.

The Bottom Line

Crisis leadership isn't about having all the answers. It's about:

• Communicating constantly
• Solving problems proactively
• Taking care of your people
• Focusing on what you can control
• Fixing weak systems permanently
• Celebrating progress along the way

If COVID taught us anything, it's that crisis reveals who your real leaders are.

Some leaders freeze. Some panic. Some go silent.

The best leaders step up, adapt, and deliver results—no matter what's happening around them.

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Need a leader who's proven they can deliver under pressure?

Let's talk or call (616) 881-6777.

About the Author

Gabriel Denny commanded the 341st Comptroller Squadron during COVID-19, leading 140 people while maintaining financial operations for America's largest nuclear missile wing. His team achieved #1 global ranking despite the pandemic.

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Crisis Leadership Principles

• Communicate more, not less
• Solve problems, don't wait for guidance
• Take care of your people first
• Focus on what you can control
• Fix weak systems permanently
• Celebrate small wins along the way