AFCENT commander visits Airmen of the 379 AEW

Published Sept. 27, 2011
By Senior Airman Eric Summers Jr.
379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

SOUTHWEST ASIA -- The new U.S. Air Forces Central Command commander visited with deployed Airmen, Sept. 17, at an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia.

Lt. Gen. David Goldfein, AFCENT commander, began the day with a commander's call before touring various units in the 379th AEW.

The general, who is responsible for developing contingency plans and conducting air operations in a 20-nation area of responsibility covering Central and Southwest Asia, touched on four focus areas during his talk with more than 400 Airmen at the commander's call.

"First, we must get the balance right between responsive and proactive airpower in the fight that we are in today. That fight is of course, with laser focus, putting everything we have against General [Lloyd] Austin's lines of operations and his mission statements as we work in the final months of Iraq, while making sure we are posturing ourselves for success for General [John] Allen in Afghanistan as he works toward 2014," Goldfein said.

Speaking about operations in Afghanistan, Goldfein said it's an "incredible machine" that can have airpower overhead in mere minutes anywhere in a country roughly equivalent in size to the state of Texas to support ground units.

"That is historic," said the command pilot with more than 4,100 flying hours. "So the responsiveness piece of how we place air assets over a ground component in a dynamic fight on the ground, and being able to shift that air power as required immediately, is an achievement of historic proportions."

The general also discussed defense of the base and the region.

"As the Combined Forces Air Component Commander, I am focused on pulling this entire region together to--with the help of our partner nations--be able to defend the Gulf," he said.

"Just as we defend the region I'm also focused on defending the base, defending our personnel and defending our resources here so we can continue to take the fight to the enemy," he added. "It's making sure we have postured ourselves so that can we mitigate the risk that's out there."

Goldfein believes each Airman is both a defender and first responder when it comes to defending the base outside and inside the wire and that all must be sentinels who remain vigilant.

Engagement with both host nation partners throughout the region and members of our sister services is another are the general focuses on.

"Every one of us has a role to play in engaging with our fellow Soldiers, Sailors and Marines, because those relationships we build with trust and confidence are relationships that will roll on for years," he said.

One final area of concentration for the general is preparing for what the future may hold.

"I don't know, nor does anybody in this room, exactly what's coming next in this region," he said. "But I do know with 100 percent certainty we have from now until then to prepare for it."

Goldfein said he's looking at what behaviors or mindset the command needs, which includes being agile enough to conduct major combat operations.

"I have to make sure we are adaptable, agile and ready to support whatever our nation calls upon us to do," he said.

The general concluded by saying the heritage and lineage left to today's Airmen has set AFCENT up for success.

"We follow a long line of Airmen from Horner to Hostage," he said. "We are the 22nd class in our 22nd year since we arrived here as an Air Force.

"Every class has contributed to make our business better so it's our privilege and honor to be able to wear this uniform right now, when our nation needs us most, to be able to build on their successes and take us to the next level," he added.