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CFACC talks big picture with deployed Airmen

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Michael O'Connor
  • 386th Air Expeditionary Wing public affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  The Combined Forces Air Component Commander for U.S. Central Command wrapped up a nine-day tour of the U.S. Air Forces Central Command area of responsibility May 25.

The commander, Lt. Gen. Gary North, spent two days in the Persian Gulf Region welcoming recently deployed Airmen. He talked with them about the Airman Battle Uniform, deployment rates, the C-130 and other issues impacting Airmen engaged in the Global War on Terrorism.

"My theme is always consistent. We've got a mission that we must do, and we have great Airmen that are doing it," said General North. "As I go to see the Airmen, whether it's their first rotation or whether they've been here many, many times, they consistently perform and consistently perform very well."

Since the top Air Force war-fighting general received his commission in 1976, a lot has changed ... from uniforms to senior leaders, from manpower and the organizational structure of the Air Force, to the way the Air Force conducts and fights wars.

"We're much more capable now than when I came in," said General North. "Our ability to organize, train and equip our Airmen for the fight makes them the most combat ready, most qualified, and most capable Airmen we've ever had.

"These Airmen are the most honored of any Airmen we've had in the history of our United States Air Force," said the general. "From our young 18-year-olds who are coming into the Air Force wearing our new ABU to our very senior Airmen, we are a service that has been seasoned in combat non-stop for the last 18 years here in the Middle East. The mainstay through all the change has been the professionalism of Airmen as they fight this war on terror."

During the general's two days in the Persian Gulf, he took time to re-enlist two of the 24,000 plus Airmen deployed to the AOR: Tech. Sgt. Manolito Carrabis, 387th Expeditionary Support Squadron, and Staff Sgt. Marcus Williams, 387th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron.

"This was by far the coolest one yet," said Sergeant Carrabis, a 14-year veteran deployed from Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas. "Before the ceremony, he congratulated us and told us what an honor it was to re-enlist us. Afterward, he said letting him re-enlist us meant more to him than it did to us."

While re-enlisting Airmen is very important to General North, so is ensuring these same Airmen understand how AFCENT synchronizes and integrates its wide array of air effects and why this is so important in the ongoing Global War on Terrorism.

"This is a joint fight and in a join fight you have lots of services and nations involved in the coalition in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Horn of Africa," said General North. "As Airmen, and in my role as the CFACC, it is our mission to synchronize air effects from space to the battlefield Airmen on the ground among the five lines of air missions that we do."

The various air missions flown include air refueling, aero medical evacuation, airlift, ISR-intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, and armed overwatch using fighters, bombers, and unmanned aerial vehicles -- all of which enable air effects.

On the Air Force's historic combat aerial milestone reached April 20, 2008, with the flying of the millionth sortie in the Global War on Terrorism, 277 sorties were flown, 3,340 people were moved, 2.9 million pounds of gas was offloaded and 486 short tons of cargo was delivered throughout the AOR.

Since taking command of AFCENT 27 months ago, the general continuously travels throughout the AOR to see first-hand the Airmen performing the mission.

"As always, it's a pleasure and honor to come back to visit and see our Airmen," said the general. "I get out quite a bit throughout the AOR and visit all the countries that support and enable us to do our mission set.

"Our Airmen are fabulous," he said. "They're absolutely incredible in what they do. They are disciplined and professional and have integrity beyond belief, and they're proud to serve. I'm proud to serve along side them and I look forward to seeing them throughout the AOR in this rotation and in further rotations."

During his time with the Mighty Marauders of the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing, the general spoke highly of the wing's leadership and mission success.

"The mission set here gets better every day because of the experience of the Airmen who have been doing this time and time again," said General North. "The wing couldn't be better run, and the wing couldn't have better leadership or Airmen than are now falling into this Air and Space Expeditionary Force rotation."