An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

AMC thanks CRAF employees for 'significant' contributions

  • Published
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, ILL. --   Air Mobility Command officials have begun awarding hundreds of Aerial Achievement Medals and thousands of certificates of appreciation to the employees of commercial air carriers called to duty during the Civil Reserve Air Fleet activation in 2003.

The Civil Reserve Air Fleet, or CRAF, is a fleet of commercial passenger and cargo aircraft contractually committed to supporting Department of Defense airlift requirements when the need for airlift exceeds the capability of military aircraft.

Gen. John W. Handy, commander of U.S. Transportation Command and AMC, activated CRAF Passenger Stage 1 in February 2003 to move U.S. troops during the buildup of forces in Southwest Asia. According to AMC officials, Cargo Stage 1 activation was avoided due the huge volunteer effort mounted by the cargo carriers.

During the few months Stage 1 was activated, CRAF carriers flew 4,273 sorties transporting 399,202 passengers and 18 million pounds of cargo in support of U.S. operations worldwide. In fact, during the activation almost 90 percent of passenger movement and 40 percent of air cargo movement was accomplished by CRAF carriers.

To show their appreciation for these commercial air carriers and their employees, AMC representatives plan to personally deliver about 1,300 Aerial Achievement Medals and 5,700 certificates of appreciation to the employees of CRAF air carriers spread throughout the United States.

According to Maj. Gen. Mark Volcheff, AMC Director of Operations, the medals and certificates are AMC's way of paying tribute and recognition to its CRAF partners for their significant contributions to the Global War on Terrorism. "We want to thank our CRAF partners for their outstanding support during our country's time of need," said the general.

The first presentations took place at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City Sept. 27. A team of AMC people -- led by General Volcheff-- delivered 131 aerial achievement medals and 112 certificates to North American Airlines employees.

General Volcheff said he's willing to bet that most Americans don't know about the significant contributions made by CRAF carriers.

"Most Americans, I'm sure, don't know that participation in CRAF is voluntary," he said. "Most don't know that, when activated, our CRAF partners have only 24 to 48 hours to respond to their first mission, so they always have to be ready. And most Americans probably don't realize that as our CRAF partners flew into unfamiliar areas, they were out there, unafraid, doing the job that their country needed them to do."

General Volcheff added that it is their volunteerism and patriotism that makes these CRAF employees raise their hand and say "pick me, I'll go, my country needs me."

One person who "raised her hand" was North American employee Ingrid Diaz. According to a company spokesperson, Ms. Diaz flew on more CRAF missions than any other North American employee.

Ms. Diaz, a flight attendant on 25 trips into Southwest Asia, said she volunteered simply because she knew they needed help and they needed volunteers who could go as long as they needed them to.

She said the flights were long and difficult, but she was never really afraid.

"I trusted my passengers and just took it one day at a time," added Ms. Diaz.

The "passengers" Ms. Diaz spoke of were American servicemembers headed for duty in Southwest Asia.

General Volcheff said that during the CRAF activation, North American provided more than six percent of the total commercial passenger movement, or about 24,000 passengers. He said the company also flew 195 missions segments with an admirable 88 percent departure reliability.

Following the North American presentations, the AMC team traveled north to Purchase, New York, where General Volcheff delivered 69 medals and 534 certificates to the employees of Atlas Air and Polar Air Cargo, separate air carriers owned by the same company, Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, Inc.

Jeff Erickson, president and chief executive officer of Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, opened the awards presentation with a few remarks.

"Our relationship with Air Mobility Command has been going on for sometime now --certainly through a very critical period during 2003 -- and continues today," said Mr. Erickson. "While we have a business relationship that works very well for us, and hopefully for [AMC] as well, I think I speak for the whole Atlas and Polar family when I say there is nothing we find more important than the small piece of our support for [American] troops."

That "small piece of support" came in a big package. During the CRAF activation period, Atlas Air and Polar Air Cargo provided more than 37 percent of the commercial cargo airlift, equal to about 3,300 tons of cargo. Additionally, General Volcheff said both carriers maintained impressive departure reliability rates. Atlas flew 757 mission segments with a 90 percent reliability rate, and Polar flew 398 mission segments with a 93 percent reliability rate.

In front of more than 250 Atlas and Polar employees, the general described the contributions of both air carriers as "exemplary."

Following the Atlas Air and Polar Air Cargo presentations, General Volcheff and his team traveled a short distance to Norwalk, Conn., where the general delivered 32 Aerial Achievement Medals and 98 certificates of appreciation to the employees of Southern Air.

Southern Air provided about two percent of the total commercial air cargo movement (about 180 tons of cargo), and flew 69 missions with an 81 percent reliability rate; what the general called "impressive work" considering the size of the company. Southern Air operates a fleet of four B747-200 freighter aircraft.

Although General Volcheff and his team have already delivered numerous Aerial Achievement Medals and certificates of appreciation, about 1,000 medals and 4,950 certificates remain to be delivered to CRAF partners, including air carriers in Alaska and Hawaii.

Those numbers aren't dissuading AMC leaders.

According to the general, AMC will make every effort to present the remaining medals and certificates in the same personal style as the first. "It's that important to us," he said.

 

Air Mobility Command News Service is a service of the Internal Division
Office of Public Affairs
503 Ward Drive, Room 214
Scott Air Force Base, Illinois 62225-5335
618-229-7821