USSTRATCOM holds bomber, tanker stakeholder meeting on Scott AFB

Published Feb. 19, 2016
By Master Sgt. Thomas J. Doscher
18th Air Force Public Affairs

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- Adm. Cecil D. Haney, U.S. Strategic Command commander, hosted the Bomber - Tanker Stakeholder Meeting, the latest iteration of nuclear enterprise stakeholder meetings, here Feb. 11 and 12.

Senior leadership and experts from more than 10 organizations, including Air Mobility Command, Air Force Global Strike Command and the 8th and 18th Air Forces, met to assess the health and direction of the Nation's strategic forces.

The purpose of the meeting was to identify, prioritize and address issues in maintaining an effective and ready bomber and tanker force in support of the USSTRATCOM mission.

Haney said it was important for leaders that support the USSTRATCOM mission to be able to come together and have candid conversations about the issues facing the command.

"Doing it together, bombers and refuelers, really had some great electricity in terms of synchronization of the efforts of both sides of the team," he said. "It was good to review how we're doing, where we need to improve and be able to have the assorted leadership here. With that you're able to identify problems, look at solutions and really have an action-oriented forum to work the areas we needed to into the future."

Discussion topics such as tanker readiness, nuclear oversight and mobility sustainment and modernization made up a large part of the focus of the stakeholder meeting. When fully mobilized, Task Force 294 is the unified command's largest airborne task force, made up of more than 3,000 personnel and 150 tankers from units throughout the total force. Task Force 294 is led by the 18th AF commander, Lt. Gen. Sam Cox.

"USSTRATCOM's nuclear mission is the Air Force's number one priority," Cox said. "And there are Airmen throughout 18th Air Force training for and providing that support every day. Whether they are refueling reconnaissance and strike assets overseas or providing nuclear airlift, our Airmen are aware of the immense responsibility that falls on their shoulders. This is a no-fail mission, and they fully understand that."

Gen. Carlton D. Everhart II, AMC commander, said the role the Mobility Air Forces play in strategic deterrence cannot be understated.

"Task Force 294 is vitally important to our nation's strategic deterrence," said Everhart. "The task force commander relies on the support of Air Mobility Command which coordinates, deconflicts and synchronizes the mobility requirements of nine geographic and functional combatant commands day-to-day and in times of war to meet the President's objectives."

Haney said tanker support is critical USSTRATCOM operational plans.

"Task Force 294 is essential to U.S. Strategic Command," he said. "We're able to work with the task force to fulfill our operational plans to respond to real-world events and to conduct our deterrence and assurance operations on a day-to-day basis."

Before departing Scott AFB, Haney saluted mobility Airmen.

"As a commander, I really appreciate all the work that is conducted by [Lt.] Gen. Samuel Cox and his team, but also all the Airmen that are involved in our refueling capability," Haney said. "It's amazing the operational tempo this team has in order to meet all of the objectives across all of our nine combatant commands. They're literally all over the globe having an impact."