Phantom Reporter

SOUTHWEST ASIA - Staff Sgt. Douglas Loeffler, KC-10 crew chief of the 380th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, answered, “We have come a long way. We’re a small force, but we really show up for it with our actions.”Sergeant Loeffler is deployed from McGuire Air Force Base, N.J. (U.S. Air Force photo/Second Lieutenant Kidron Vestal)

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Phantom Reporter

SOUTHWEST ASIA - Spc. Joseph Meece, U.S. Army, said of the U.S. Air Force, “They take care of us real well, and provide any support we need. Whether it’s checking on our air conditioners or our generators,” he said he is grateful for the existence of our forces. Specialist Meece is deployed from Fort Bliss, Texas. (U.S. Air Force photo/Second Lieutenant Kidron Vestal)

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SOUTHWEST ASIA - Capt. Robert Atkinson, 380th Air Expeditionary Wing bioenvironmental engineer, said the anniversary reminds him of, “It signified that Air Power was important enough to make it its own branch. If we had stayed with the army, they would have tried to put wings on tanks.Tanks with wings would be way too slow, Ha ha!” Captain Atkinson is deployed from Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. (U.S. Air Force photo/Second Lieutenant Kidron Vestal)

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SOUTHWEST ASIA - Mr. Curtis Swift, DoD civilian and historian for the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing, shared his thoughts on the birthday: “The establishment of the Air Force legitimized airpower as a unique war-fighting capability, that required a separate service, independent of naval or army influences, to effectively exploit new technologies for future dominance in the air. Though we’re coming full circle now, and airpower is being integrated with the Army forces for a synergistic effect. Maybe one day we’ll all be in the same uniform.” Mr. Swift is deployed fromTinker Air Force Base, Okla. (U.S. Air Force photo/Second Lieutenant Kidron Vestal)

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Phantom Reporter

Published Sept. 18, 2009
By 2nd Lt. Kidron B. Vestal
Chief of 380th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

SOUTHWEST ASIA -- The "Phantom Reporter" features weekly questions posed to random people at the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing by our phantom reporter.

This week's question: "What does the Air Force's birthday mean to you?"

380AEW Article

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