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18th Air Force commander visits Charleston

  • Published
CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. --   In a round of base visits, the 18th Air Force commander returned to the base of his first flying assignment.

"It is good to be back at Charleston AFB," Lt Gen. William Welser said, as he spent a day touring the base and meeting the troops. General Welser was on base Jan. 14 and 15.

General Welser started his career as a maintenance officer, went to pilot training, and was assigned at Charleston December 1975 to July 1979 to fly the C-141 in the 20th MAS.

As Air Mobility Command's war fighting numbered air force, 18th AF is responsible for tasking and executing all air mobility missions. It consists of 12 AMC wings, three AMC groups, two Expeditionary Mobility Task Forces, and the Tanker Airlift Control Center.

As the new commander of the reactivated 18th AF, General Welser said this visit was focused on discussing the mission of 18th AF, meeting the troops, and thanking the local communities for all that they do.

"I'm the senior warfighter for the 54,000 troops that make up 18th AF," said General Welser. "However, one guy, the commander, can't be successful unless there's 53,999 other war-fit, warfighters focused on our mission."

To be effective warfighters, General Welser said every airman needs to be part of the focused Air Force family. "Although members of many different generations, we are still all one team," he said.

General Welser said his first goal is to get 18th AF up and running. This includes letting people know about the new numbered Air Force and bringing together the new team.

After his comments, there was a lively question and answer session. When asked about reducing safety mishaps, General Welser reflected on a Charleston AFB program from the 1970's.

"There used to be a sign as you departed Charleston AFB that said 'Safety is a state of mind,'" said General Welser. "Whether going home or out on a mission, everyone has to be focused on doing things safely. Safety is everyone's responsibility, and must be second nature."

When asked about Charleston AFB's operations tempo, General Welser said he was sure CAFB would not see a decrease in current ops tempo in the near term since the base is gearing up for a major force rotation.

"Ops tempo is tough to gauge," said General Welser. "But since we've caught Saddam Hussein, the attacks have gone down by over 20 percent. If that trend continues, we should see a change in ops tempo. Our president said this would be a three- to five-year battle, and we need to be ready to sustain the fight. It takes people like each of you to keep the freedoms we have. Just keep doing what you're doing so well."

General Welser said it's important to have a warrior attitude at all times.

"You are all professionals; you are all warriors," he said. "Carry a warrior attitude with you at all times. If you have to wait at a gate for 30 minutes because of ID checks, plan ahead, thank the troop at the gate for keeping us secure, and learn to tolerate occasional inconveniences."