Scott AFB's 375th AMW commander: 'Remembering 9/11' Published Sept. 9, 2011 By 375th Air Mobility Wing SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- As the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, approached, Col. Mike Hornitschek reflected his thoughts in a story on the 375th Air Mobility Wing Web site. Hornitschek serves as the wing commander of the 375th AMW. Following is an exerpt from that story written by the colonel entitled, "Remembering 9/11." "Images from that day ensure we remember the smoke and rubble and victims' tears. But we also remember the heroes of that day, uniformed and civilian -- the firefighters and police officers who rushed into burning skyscrapers to save the people trapped inside, Pentagon employees who risked all to rescue injured co-workers to the heroic passengers on Flight 93 who fought to retake their plane that later crashed near Shanksville, Penn. We do not forget the innocent people who lost their lives that day--each person was a friend, a family member, a co-worker. Every person is missed. "The Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack not only affected our nation, but changed the world and our place in it. Citizens of 90 countries were among the nearly 3,000 victims. The attacks united us with our fellow democratic nations against an ideology of radical extremism. As we reflect on the horrific day, we honor the unwavering courage of the men and women in our Armed Forces and our Allies in their ongoing efforts of securing our nation, and in their continuing fight against terrorism. "Today, there are more than 40,000 Airmen currently deployed around the world supporting joint and coalition forces with air, space and cyberspace capabilities. More than 57,000 Airmen are permanently stationed overseas supporting combatant commanders, and approximately 200,000 support daily combatant commander operations from stateside locations. "After 10 years of sustained combat operations, we as an Air Force and a nation remain resilient. Our service men and women and their families bear the enormous burden of war's difficult toll. Surge operations have taken on a more familiar tone as day-to-day missions -- deployments have become routine and significant; but anytime the nation asks, Scott AFB and the Air Force, are ready to respond. "Caring for our Airmen and their families remains a priority for this wing and our Air Force. This commitment will ensure we retain the best-qualified Airmen and sustain the quality of services for them and their families. At this convergence of prolonged conflict, ongoing fiscal stress, and federal resource constraints, resiliency becomes an increasingly significant priority for commanders, supervisors, and wingmen at all levels. As our service members answer the call to serve, our Joint force effectiveness depends on the ability of our Airmen and their families to thrive in the face of deployment-related challenges. "We do not forget those sacrifices of our men and women serving the military and our country, be they civilian or uniformed personnel. Knowing that their loved ones, friends, family and the American public support them provides the strength for them to remain steadfast. "As President Thomas Jefferson said, 'The price of freedom is eternal vigilance.' Such necessary vigilance requires our preparation, endurance and resilience. "We must continue to train and prepare our Airmen for the future, to arm them with knowledge and skills to their job but also to deal with the stresses that come with the demands of serving our great country. "With these critical tools we will honor the 9/11 victims by preserving our nation's freedom through excellence in air, space and cyberspace power." The 375th AMW provides base support services to 31 tenant units including United States Transportation Command, Air Mobility Command, Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command, 18th Air Force, Air Force Network Integration Center, Global Logistics Support Center, Defense Information Systems Agency and Defense Information Technology Contracting Organization, according to wing facts. There are two associate partners at Scott AFB. The Air Force Reserve's 932nd Airlift Wing flies C-9C and C-40 aircraft supporting military and civilian distinguished airlift missions. The 932nd Airlift Wing also supports aeromedical evacuation missions. The Air National Guard's 126th Air Refueling Wing flies KC-135 aircraft. The 375th Air Mobility Wing also provides operational support airlift throughout the continental United States with a fleet of 20 C-21 aircraft located at Scott, Joint Base Andrews, Md., and Peterson AFB, Colo. The wing's motto, "Help From Above," signifies the critical capability provided by the unit's aeromedical evacuation forces. Scott AFB is a Total Force installation where more than 13,000 active-duty, Guard, Reserve, Department of Defense civilians, and contract personnel are assigned.