Mobility commander highlights AMC wartime successes, challenges

Published Oct. 30, 2007
By Roger Drinnon
Air Mobility Command Public Affairs

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- Gen. Arthur Lichte underscored AMC's wartime challenges, as he praised the accomplishments of mobility warriors across the command, during the Airlift Tanker Association's 39th annual convention in Nashville, Tenn., Oct 25-28.

The commander of AMC emphasized how the command's warfighting roles and capabilities directly contribute to the Global War On Terrorism.

"We're engaging in the fight right now," said General Lichte. "We have Airmen who are dropping people behind enemy lines. We're saving lives with our aeromedical evacuation mission. We have tankers over hostile territory," he continued. "We're getting cargo to the right place at the right time, even to the last tactical mile. We're doing this every single day. This command is always in motion and firmly in the fight."

General Lichte highlighted the air refueling fleet's contribution to the GWOT -- more than a billion gallons of fuel passed by AMC tankers since Sept. 11, 2001.

"You'd have to go to Niagara Falls in the summertime, when the water is running the hardest, and watch (the waterfall) for 26 minutes to visualize the amount of fuel passed since 9-11," he said.

He also expressed the command's commitment to taking care of Airmen and members of other service branches, as all serve in dangerous environments with the constant threat of Improvised Explosive Devices.

"We're delivering about six (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected) vehicles to the field each day, and that's saving lives," said General Lichte.

He noted airlift's role in risk avoidance as another significant contribution amid a hostile wartime environment.

"We are using organic and commercial airlift to get convoys off the road, and that's saving lives," said General Lichte. "For the month of September alone, we kept 12,000 people and almost 5,000 trucks off the roads and away from the threat of IEDs and other attacks -- that's the way to save lives."

The general said Aeromedical Evacuations also demonstrate AMC's commitment to caring for injured service members.

"It took 10 days to get wounded patients home from Operation Desert Storm - we had special routes and dedicated aircraft," General Lichte said. "Since Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, any aircraft we fly can do AE (missions). It now takes about three days to get injured people back to the United States," he continued. The (618th Tanker Airlift Control Center) finds the best mission to get them back, and we grab a critical care team and marry them up -- it's a tremendous improvement and it's saving lives."

The air mobility commander said modernization of the aging mobility fleet will be key to sustaining the command's combat effectiveness. He said critical programs include the acquisition of the KC-X next-generation tanker as well as modernization and extension programs for existing airframes.

"Our aircraft are getting old and are wearing out," said General Lichte. "We are at a critical time in the command, and we need to get on with modernization. Our equipment is tired, but our people are not. I want to ensure we have (modernized equipment) for our Airmen as they bring mission success."

The general summarized AMC's overall wartime efforts as well-aligned with the Air Force's goals and objectives.

"We're fighting and winning the war on terror and planning for the next (conflict)," said General Lichte. "We're taking care of our Airmen and their families, and we're doing everything we can to recapitalize and modernize our aircraft - AMC is out leading the fleet."

The Airlift Tanker Association is a non-profit professional organization and a forum for people interested in improving America's air mobility forces. Its members include Airmen of the Total Force, civilian employees and interested citizens. Nearly 4,000 people attended this year's conference.