An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Air mobility leader visits deployed Airmen

  • Published
  • By Capt. Jason McCree
  • 386th Air Expeditionary Wing public affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  The general charged with ensuring the success of air mobility in the Global War on Terror visited Airmen deployed to the Persian Gulf Region Mar. 8.

Brig. Gen. Thomas Haynes, U.S. Air Forces Central director of mobility forces, visited Airmen from various units throughout the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing. The general works directly for the Combined Forces Air Component Commander, Lt. Gen. Gary North, to pave the way ahead for air mobility operations in the theater.

Throughout the general's time here, he visited Airmen assigned to the 386th Expeditionary Operations and Maintenance Groups. Many of these Airmen fly and fix a large number of the C-130 and C-17 aircraft that conduct the deployed airlift mission.

"During our time with General Haynes, he showed us how we fit into the [area of operations] mobility mission," said Lt. Col. Thomas Saxe, 386th OG deputy commander, who is deployed from the National Guard Bureau in Arlington, Va. "We provide a key part of the puzzle of moving troops and equipment to priority locations, and hearing how the general uses our 98-percent mission effectiveness rate is great insight."

In addition to meeting with Airmen, the general also discussed the importance air mobility has the success of the Global War on Terror.

"Air mobility sustains the fight; the deployed theater has come to rely on air mobility," said the general. "The size of the theater is similar to that of the distance which runs from Key West, Fla., to Alaska. This yields tremendous logistical challenges when trying to provide for the war fighters' needs."

To meet these logistical challenges, General Haynes said it takes collaboration to ensure the success of the airlift operations going on throughout the theater. "As airlifters, we should be very proud of our ability to accomplish the mission, because it requires a lot of people working in synchronization to get the job done," he said.

"Air mobility is an important piece of how we conduct the war," he said. "The CFACC considers it a very influential part of the war effort."

In addition to meeting with Airmen and discussing air mobility's impacts on Operations Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom and ongoing operations in the Horn of Africa Region, the general also discussed the importance of the total force on GWOT.

"We could not fight this war without the total force; there is no way we can do what we do today without out reservists and guardsmen working with their active-duty counterparts," said the general, who is deployed from the Rhode Island National Guard. "By bringing in guardsmen and reservists to work side by side with active-duty Airmen in a deployed location, we're building an element of trust and credibility difficult to match at home stations - they trust in each other to get the job done."