US Air Forces Central Command commander visits Airmen at Manas

Published Sept. 11, 2009
By Staff Sgt. Olufemi Owolabi
376th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

TRANSIT CENTER AT MANAS, Kyrgyzstan -- Airmen of the 376th Air Expeditionary Wing hosted the U.S. Air Forces Central Command Commander, Lt. Gen. Mike Hostage, during a three-day visit to the Transit Center at Manas, Kyrgyzstan, Aug. 31 to Sept. 2.

This visit to Manas was General Hostage's first to see the men and women of the Transit Center after he took command of USAFCENT Aug. 5.

During the general's visit here, he got a snapshot of the Manas mission by touring various shops, where he met Airmen carrying out air refueling, airlift (cargo) and onward movement of personnel in and out of Afghanistan.

"Members of the Transit Center are a fundamental and vital part of the AFCENT mission," General Hostage said. "Bringing men and women, and equipment into the areas of responsibility, as well as sending them on their way home, is vital. The air-refueling mission also carries a significant role."

The fact that Air Force members have the ability to operate from here -- closer to the operating area in Afghanistan -- also makes the role that Manas plays toward the efforts in Afghanistan very critical, he added. "We need the work they (the members) are doing here."

As part of General Hostage's trip here, he had the opportunity to attend, as a special guest speaker, the ribbon cutting ceremony of the Birdik Village School in Alamudun District of Chui province.

The school, a reconstruction project of about $540,000 funded by the Air Force and volunteer efforts from Airmen at the Transit Center, was reopened in time for about 150 school children of Birdik Village to start the new school year Sept. 1, after about a six-month closure.

"The relationship between the men and women of the Transit Center and the people of Kyrgyzstan is critical for our success here," General Hostage commented after the ceremony. "By reaching out, as the men and women of the Transit Center have done, specifically in the rebuilding of the Birdik School ... that kind of goodwill pays tremendous dividends over time."

"Developing relationships with the people of Kyrgyzstan is a wonderful benefit to the efforts of the men and women of the Transit Center," he added.

The general also had dinner with some junior Airmen, shared a few thoughts with them and answered various questions they had about diverse issues.

Among General Hostage's list of things to accomplish while in office is ensuring everyone in the command works together as a team to ensure a successful AFCENT mission.

"My priority for Airmen is that they should know their task and do it safely and effectively," General Hostage said. "For the command, we must ensure we do whatever we need to do as Airmen to make the ground commander successful in his ground campaign. There's no independent air campaign; the only reason we are in this theater is to support the commanding general and his achievement of the overall objectives."

The general urged members of the Transit Center to keep up the good work they do every day because it is a way of upholding the Air Force tradition of excellence.

General Hostage's command is responsible for air operations and developing contingency plans in support of national objectives for the USCENTCOM area of responsibility. The command also manages supply and equipment prepositioning program at several AOR sites.