SOUTHWEST ASIA -- Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz and Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Rodney McKinley visited the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing here Oct. 22 during their visit to the U.S. Central Command Area of Responsibility.
"I'm pleased to be back in the AOR to see the many changes and steps the Air Force is taking to maintain a vigilant and effective presence," General Schwartz said. "It is always valuable for me to have 'eyes on' the operations and face-to-face time with AOR leaders and Airmen."
General Schwartz serves as the senior uniformed Air Force officer responsible for the organization, training and equipping of nearly 700,000 active-duty, Guard, Reserve and civilian forces serving in the United States and overseas. As a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, he - along with the other service chiefs - function as military advisers to the Secretary of Defense, National Security Council and the President.
Brig. Gen. H.D. Polumbo, Jr., 380th AEW commander, escorted the distinguished visitors on an in-depth tour of one of the smaller, yet vital wings in theater.
"General Schwartz, this wing supports the Air Force's goals in a unique and dynamic way and thanks to the Airmen here, I think we do it very well," General Polumbo said. "By leading the way in standardizing unmanned aerial vehicle procedures; and by our extensive command and control capabilities; by breaking new ground with our intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities on a regular basis; and by our refueling operations that supply a third of the air-to-air fuel in the AOR - I'm very proud of this team and honored you've come to see us in action."
The official party got a first-hand view of the fuels holding facility before heading out to the flightline for a tour of the 380th's airpower. General Schwartz and the visitors received briefs and tours of the KC-10 Extender, the E-3 Sentry and the wing's reconnaissance platforms, the U-2 Dragon Lady and the RQ-4 Global Hawk.
The Air Force's top enlisted leader, Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Rodney J. McKinley, said he was looking forward to seeing the UAVs again, a tool the Air Force will be using well into the future. "UAVs aren't going away. You think about the fantastic capabilities of these aircraft and you understand why, when you look way out into the future, the UAVs are there," Chief McKinley said.
The guests were able to speak with Airmen from across the wing and view a day in the life of the 380th AEW. They spoke with maintainers, pilots, medical and administrative personnel on a one-to-one basis throughout the day, and capped off the visit by addressing the wing at large during the Airmen's Call held that evening.
Mr. Donald Bishop, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service and Foreign Policy Advisor to the Air Force chief of staff, accompanied Gen. Schwartz on his trip. What stood out to him was the command's emphasis on good order and discipline.
"Airmen can do so much to portray a positive image of the United States in the AOR, but even a few incidents can diminish that good will," he said. "It's as true now as it was when I was in the air zone in Vietnam: good order and discipline are the starting points for positive relations."
General Polumbo told Mr. Bishop it was the Airmen who deserve the credit. "That's a tribute to our first-line supervisors, they take the guidance and move out with it," he said.
The decision-makers absorbed these and myriad details, often writing notes and asking questions to ensure they gleaned all they could from the valuable trip. They also answered questions and allayed concerns as they afforded countless opportunities for Airmen to address them in person.
Chief McKinley responded to questions regarding U.S. presence in Southwest Asia and current deployment rates, "We're at war. We want to make sure this fight we're in stays on their two-yard line, not ours," he said. "The fact you're over here means we're doing our job; it means they're not on our two-yard line and we want to keep it that way. You're all doing awesome keeping American families from living in fear - I'm incredibly proud to be serving our nation with you."
General Schwartz was no less impressed than the chief master sergeant of the Air Force. "I'd like to thank our host, General Polumbo and his team for an outstanding visit to the 380th. The visit was very educational, comprising the dynamic elements of this wing's contributions," the chief of staff said. "Your input and the time we spent here will help us make the right decisions for the Airmen and the organization, as well."
"This is an exceptional wing with an exceptional mission made more so by exceptional Airmen," General Schwartz said. "I'm impressed with every aspect of my visit and as General Polumbo said, 'It's the Airmen who make it happen.'"