Leaders ensure wartime logistics, maintenance success

Published Feb. 4, 2008
By Capt. Jason McCree
386th Air Expeditionary Wing public affairs

SOUTHWEST ASIA -- Sustaining combat-ready aircraft during the high operations tempo presented by the Global War on Terrorism is a tough business in today's expeditionary environment. Continuous challenges in logistics, maintenance, contracting, and supply must be overcome to ensure the Air Force can fly, fight and win in the area of responsibility.

To discuss many of these issues, nearly 20 Airmen, mostly made up of colonels and chiefs representing expeditionary maintenance group, and major command logistics senior leaders converged on the Central Command Air Forces Expeditionary Maintenance Group Conference at a base in Southwest Asia Feb. 2.

"First and foremost this conference is important because there is huge value to eye-to-eye contact between the maintenance and logisticians here," said Col. Brad Reinert, U.S. Central Command Air Forces director of logistics. "The exchange of ideas and benchmarking of concepts and best practices across the AOR will solve problems. This will provide conference attendees information they can take home to improve their units."
Col. Charles Westgate III, 386th EMXG commander, agreed.

"This conference is a great opportunity to get the latest guidance from (the CENTAF logistics staff), Colonel Westgate said. "This is also a chance to share lessons learned with our peers around the area of responsibility."

While sharing information is important, there is a clear underlying conference agenda: ensuring Airmen have what it takes to achieve success in Iraq, Afghanistan and other hot spots around the globe.

"We want to enhance combat capability and bolster America's efforts to take the fight to the enemy by looking for and implementing the best maintenance and logistics practices from throughout the AOR," said Colonel Reinert. "We would like our efforts here to translate into benefits for the war fighter and carry out the USCENTAF commander's intent."

The conference agenda did not just include briefings from the maintenance and logistics career field brass. A 'Fit to Fight' run, accompanied by no-notice "pushup sessions" throughout the conference, and the opportunity to meet Airmen on the flightline also rounded out the two-day event.

"It's always good to get out and visit the people who make our mission happen," said Chief Master Sgt. William Toler, CENTAF aircraft maintenance manager. "It's great to see passion about fixing airplanes from our Airmen; it reminds us about how important it is to support them."

At the conclusion of the conference, Maj. John Frazier, 379th Expeditionary Maintenance Operations Squadron commander, said he feels the conference was beneficial.

"The communication and networking was key," said Major Frazier, who is stationed in the Persian Gulf region on a 12-month deployment. "Coming here helped me to learn more about the deployed maintenance process. This will help me to better organize my unit, in turn enhancing our ability to better support the war effort."