LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE, Ark. – “Let’s Go,” said Gen. Mike Minihan, Air Mobility Command commander.
This is Minihan’s multi-faceted mantra, which he characterized as a warrior’s creed that signifies his appreciation of service to Mobility Airmen; a contract between Airmen and their mission; and a glimpse into the future of readiness standards tied directly to pacing threats.
It was only fitting that Minihan’s first visit after assuming command of AMC was to Little Rock Air Force Base, the Home of Herk Nation, where he launched his career 31 years ago.
“It’s an absolute treat to return to Little Rock Air Force Base,” Minihan said. “The opportunity I have now as the AMC commander was born right here on this base.”
Minihan began his career as a C-130 pilot at the 61st Airlift Squadron in 1991. He would return two decades later as the commander of the 19th Airlift Wing.
“It’s been an honor to come back here and it’s a wonderful opportunity to say thank you to all the men and women who helped me get where I am today,” he said. “It is an even better opportunity to meet the new Airmen that are tackling the mission and thank them for what they do each and every day.”
During the visit, Minihan and Chief Master Sgt. Brian Kruzelnick, AMC command chief, received an inside look into how the men and women of the 19th AW are forging a culture of innovation geared toward preparing for tomorrow’s high-end fight.
“In my humble opinion, Black Knights are taking the lead with what tactical airlift will look like as we go through that fight and work through Agile Combat Employment,” Kruzelnick said. “The 19th AW has been charged to be the lead wing. As such, they are going to develop the future tactics, techniques and procedures that will help AMC counter our pacing threats.”
Through constantly-evolving readiness exercises, the 19th AW is continuously preparing for a myriad of threats that could be seen through the enemies’ tactics of tomorrow. Instilling a warrior ethos, the wing is advancing the force through Agile Combat Employment and Multi-Capable Airmen concepts to support future capabilities.
“The Black Knights and Herk Nation are an essential part of the greater enterprise,” Minihan said. “The challenges that lie ahead of us are big enough that it’s going to require everyone across AMC to be 100% trained and 100% committed to the mission.”
Minihan also said that the success of Herk Nation would not be possible without the unwavering support from the local community.
“This community is a national treasure and a prime example of what it means to support a base and the Air Force mission,” Minihan said. “There are wonderful communities all over, but from what I’ve seen firsthand, this is the standard for which we all should strive.”
Kruzelnick echoed Minihan’s sentiment of the outstanding community support, adding that it enables the Airmen’s focus to remain steadfast on the mission.
“Throughout our time here, I was not only blown away by the support from the community, but also by the passion of every Airman that we met,” Kruzelnick said. “They understand what they are trying to get after, they have passion for it, but they also have commitment to each other. I would like them to know, on behalf of AMC, that we appreciate the work that they do. We care about them deeply and we have nothing but love for the entirety of Herk Nation.”