18th Air Force commander visits McGuire

Published Aug. 4, 2008
By Airman 1st Class Bekah Phy
305th Air Mobility Wing commander

McGUIRE AIR FORCE BASE, N.J. -- Maj. Gen. Winfield Scott III, 18th Air Force commander, visited McGuire July 29-31 to learn more about the 305th Air Mobility Wing's contribution to the 18th AF's warfighting role. This was the general's first visit to McGuire as the 18th AF commander.

"Kathy and I want to thank the entire 305th (AMW) and 21st Expeditionary Mobility Task Force for the great hospitality," General Scott said. "It was a great visit; meeting the young Airmen, officers all across all the mission stats. No question, McGuire is a total-force wing - Guard, Reserve and active duty. They do it well; they do it better than anybody else."

During the first day of his visit, the general attended a joint base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst brief and received an aerial tour of the soon-to-be joint base.

"The future (of the base) is going to be great. They're going to evolve beyond a total-force wing to a joint total-force wing. The relationships I saw between the Army, Navy and the Air Force are absolutely superb," the general said. "I challenge them to come back in 10 years because joint is the way we fight today, tomorrow we're going to live joint, and when they come back in 10 years and see what all three services have done to make McGuire a joint base they're going to be knocked over backward as far as the effects achieved. It's one thing to fight together joint; you fight together even better when you live together."

General Scott also discussed Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st Century efforts and explained how he would like lean initiatives to become a part of Air Force culture. "Every day our Airmen should be looking for ways to make our Air Force more efficient ... it's what's best for our Airmen, and it's best for the warfighter because you're going to achieve better warfighting effects as we become more efficient. My goal is that we won't have to talk AFSO 21; it's just a part of our culture on how we become more efficient."

The general, who spent one year in Iraq, seemed to be thrilled with the progress the military is making and the motivational attitudes of those serving in the AOR.

"My year in Baghdad ... I was on the sidelines watching our Air Force execute the mission on a day-in and day-out basis. I had the opportunity, several times, to fly with our airlift crews as they transported me throughout the Iraqi AOR, and I also had the chance, for 10 days at another location, to meet with 700 Airmen who were doing detention duties for detainees," General Scott said. "The spirit, the enthusiasm for mission excellence is there. And our Air Force is making a huge positive effect on the (Global) War on Terrorism ... They (servicemembers) see the progress that's being made and progress is being made, politically and militarily. We still have a lot of challenges ... but it's a lot different today than it was a year ago; that's because of the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines who are executing that mission."

General Scott noticed several changes around McGuire since he served as the 18th Airlift Squadron commander here from 1992 to 1994. In 1993, the general explained, McGuire was on the Base Realignment and Closure list. Now, not only has McGuire's infrastructure improved considerably, including housing privatization, the KC-10s are here and the C-17 is a weapons system here. Not to mention, he said, "The Airmen are as motivated as ever, the community is as supportive as it ever was if not more so, and I can't overemphasize the support the community provides McGuire-proper; it's one community."

General Scott is thankful for the hard work of McGuire's Airmen.

"Thank you for your service, thank you for what you do day-in and day-out," he said. "You're part of the greatest Air Force in the world, and I just can't thank you enough."

As Air Mobility Command's warfighting numbered Air Force, the 18th Air Force 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 618th Tanker Airlift Control Center.