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AMC commander praises Airmen's attitudes

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Christie Putz
  • 375th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. --  While traveling from base to base, the commander of Air Mobility Command said the thing he is most impressed by is not a wing's facilities or even its capabilities, but by the Airmen working every day to make these things a reality.

"They're proud, they're professionals and they're doing their jobs flawlessly," Gen. Arthur Lichte said during an interview while on his official visit to the 375th Airlift Wing Jan. 29 with Chief Master Sgt. Joseph Barron, AMC command chief. "I am so very, very impressed with the men and women that I've met."

Of note were the Airmen's efforts in the ongoing war. Several examples were cited, from C-130 Hercules crews dropping leaflets over war-torn countries to C-17 Globemaster III and C-5 Galaxy crews safely delivering equipment, including Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles, to servicemembers downrange. Meanwhile, KC-135 Stratotanker and KC-10 Extender crews make this possible by delivering fuel to the fight.

The command's contributions don't stop with aircrews, however. "Our Airmen are out there in the middle of the fight every day, and they're saving lives," he said.

A prime example of this lifesaving impact lies in the aeromedical evacuation role that AMC leads for the Air Force.

"We're literally saving lives every day as we move patients from the (area of responsibility) directly back to their homes," he said. "Scott Air Force Base is in the middle of that with the number of aeromedical evacuation teams they provide, as well as other Airmen in the combat expeditionary role."

Support role Airmen, regardless of component, are also bringing their skills together to complete the mission. One such example is the base's co-located, total force Command Post, which in addition to active-duty members of the 375th AW currently employs three full-time Reservists, as well as four more that come in during their monthly weekends.

"As I look out and see what the people are doing, I can't tell the difference between a Reservist, Guardsman and active duty member," General Lichte said. "They're all accomplishing the mission, and they are in the fight every day."

Last year alone, Scott deployed nearly 1,200 servicemembers in operational, medical and mission support roles. Today, there are currently more than 450 Scott Airmen serving abroad.

"When you couple that with fighting very closely with the Army, Marines and Navy, it multiplies the power we have," the general said. "It's a force multiplier in and of itself when you fight jointly."

But Scott Airmen aren't only fighting alongside other services. In some cases, they're actually fighting in place of them by filling dozens of 'in-lieu-of Army' taskings at any time throughout the year. Many Airmen filling these positions voluntarily deploy for 365 day rotations.

"We're saving time, money and manpower with the unique ways that we're leveraging technology and manpower, and it's really helping out with what we do each and every day," said General Lichte.

On the same note are the successes of the Air Force Smart Operations 21 initiatives taking place across the Air Force, and their impact on the mission.

"Every day as I travel around this command, I find that we're doing things much smarter than we did just several years ago, and sometimes several months ago," he said. "Our Airmen keep coming up with smarter and better ways of doing business as they look across the full spectrum of operations and across all our systems."

By closely examining established processes, Airmen are able to see areas where things may be accomplished more efficiently by using fewer people, taking less time or reducing the resources required.

Recent initiatives at the 375th AW include the new Visitor Control Center, which has become a benchmark for other AMC bases, as well as the recent consolidation of C-21 crews.

"In many cases by eliminating some of the people we find that we're doing things better and it's allowing us to apply money to certain areas that needed it for force modernization and recapitalization," he said.

Another huge accomplishment for the wing was the privatization of base housing.

"As I've gone around to the housing in particular, it is wonderful for our Airmen," he said. "The dorms are probably the best I've seen in the command."

While this is his third time visiting the wing, he said he is continually impressed by the progress that's being made. "Even though I have been here before, I'm seeing brand new things every turn, and I'm seeing the quality keep getting higher and higher," he said.

The general highlighted the fact that all these improvements are being made amidst changes enacted by force shaping efforts. He attributes these successes to the Airmen at each wing and their tireless dedication.

"Their attitude, their spirit and their enthusiasm is contagious and it makes Chief Barron and me feel very, very proud that we have men and women of this caliber serving our great Air Force," he said.