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ACC leaders discuss current, future challenges

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Don Branum
  • 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq --  The commander of Air Combat Command and members of his A-staff spoke to 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing Airmen about current and upcoming events surrounding Air Force combat operations during an Airman's Call here earlier this month.

Gen. John Corley discussed the impact of current economic trends on Air Force funding, the future of Air Force operations in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, the transition of ACC assets to Air Force Global Strike Command and efforts toward increasing total-force integration.

"Fire away at me," General Corley said to open the forum. "I'm happy to take all your questions. I'm here to take aboard legitimate, tough issues and to be your advocate."

Airman 1st Class Bhrugeshbhai Patel, a security forces Airman deployed to the 332nd Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron from Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, asked how the current recession might affect funding for the war on terrorism.

"An economic downturn inside our country oftentimes brings with it additional problems that have to be dealt with across the government, including the Department of Defense," General Corley said. "But having talked to some of the folks from President-elect Barack Obama's transition team, I can tell you that they understand what this war is about, and they understand the value of the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines.

"You're going to continue to get the kind of funding you need, not just in terms of additional numbers and training, but also in terms of recapitalization to give you the tools that you need," General Corley added.

Tech. Sgt. John Hale, a safety NCO with the 557th Expeditionary RED HORSE Squadron, asked how long American forces will continue to have a presence in Iraq.

The Iraqi Council of Representatives recently approved a Status of Forces Agreement with the United States that will withdraw combat forces from most areas of Iraq by June 30, 2009, with the remaining combat forces scheduled to withdraw by Dec. 31, 2011. However, the Air Force will continue to deploy Airmen to the Middle East for the foreseeable future, General Corley said.

"People have described the war we are fighting as a 'long war,'" he said. "What that tells me from an Airman's standpoint is that we're going to continue to see (Air and Space Expeditionary Force) rotations to this part of the world."

Air Force officials also will continue to assist representatives of the other armed services through joint service solution taskings, said Maj. Gen. Frank Gorenc, ACC's director of air and space operations.

"I think that the Air Force's senior leadership, particularly (Chief of Staff) Gen. Norton Schwartz, has made it pretty clear that when we have the capability to make an effect on the overall effort in the conflict, both here and in Afghanistan, we will be part of the solution as the joint force commander calls us," General Gorenc said.

ACC Command Chief Master Sgt. Steve Sullens added that Airmen should perceive themselves differently than Airmen have in the past.

"You're a member of the DOD team first, you're an Airman second, and then whatever functional discipline you're in is third," Chief Sullens said. "We are members of a fighting force that is prepared, willing and able to do what is necessary when called -- 'all in.'"

One of the most difficult challenges facing ACC leaders in the near future is transitioning some of their forces to the new Global Strike Command while retaining focus on core competencies outside the nuclear enterprise, General Corley said. B-52 Stratofortresses and B-2 Spirits currently aligned under ACC's 8th Air Force, headquartered at Barksdale AFB, La., will move under Global Strike Command. Air Force Space Command officials will transfer control of 20th Air Force and the fleet of intercontinental ballistic missiles to the new command.

"As these pieces of the pie move, and more importantly, as our Airmen move, the responsibility I have is to make sure that we don't just focus on one piece, but we also retain our focus on the theater fight," General Corley said. "I ask, 'How long does it take to build a technical sergeant?' That's about how long it's going to take to build up Global Strike Command ... without dropping the ball."

The Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve will increasingly contribute as the Air Force moves forward, said Maj. Gen. Dave Gillett, ACC's director of logistics.

"We are doing total-force integration on a daily basis," General Gillett said. "That's brought the strength of the Guard and Reserve to the active force and vice-versa, and we've been able to take advantage of one another's strengths. I think it's a positive thing. It's the wave of the future, and I think you'll continue to see more of it."

"Once upon a time, we thought about the Guard and Reserve components as a portion of a strategic reserve," General Corley said. "That's old thinking. That's the old way of doing business and it can't work for us, today or in the future. They are part of an operational force, and frankly, we would be dead in the water without them."

The distinguished visitors from ACC concluded the Airman's Call by praising the 332nd AEW's efforts here. Chief Sullens, who had visited the base about a week earlier with U.S. Air Forces Central Command Chief Master Sgt. Scott Dearduff, highlighted the performance of two Airmen in particular.

"The quote I walked away from last week's visit with was, 'Extraordinary Airmen doing extraordinary things,'" Chief Sullens said. "I really didn't think the bar could be raised much higher until we stood in the air traffic control tower here yesterday afternoon, and I watched two senior airmen brief a four-star general. One of them is standing up here in the front row, wanting to remain anonymous, but her initials are Senior Airman Julie Novak. And to her left is Senior Airman Brandon Brown, who's a defender and who did an absolutely wonderful job as well."

Airman Novak, a 332nd Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron information management Airman, is deployed from Westover Air Reserve Station, Mass. Airman Brown, a 332nd ESFS security forces Airman, is deployed from McConnell AFB, Kan.

"They set the tone perfectly for what goes on at Joint Base Balad, Iraq, whether it's presenting a briefing or working in the Air Force Theater Hospital or any of the other work centers that we visited," said Chief Sullens, recognizing the two Airmen. "You are absolutely superior, and I couldn't be prouder."