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AMC commander praises airlift effort

24 Aug 2006 | Capt. David Faggard

The general in charge of providing the Air Force airlift for the war on terrorism thanked Airmen here being ready to do their part.

Gen. Duncan McNabb, the AMC commander, called Little Rock Airmen his "band of brothers" and thanked them and their families for "standing tall and defending the nation against a terrible and evil enemy."

The general is responsible for 139,000 air mobility forces worldwide. With strategic and tactical airlift, the Airmen are sustaining U.S. military forces in Iraq, Afghanistan, the Horn of Africa and other locations in and around Southwest Asia.

At this C-130 Hercules hub, the general said the battle against terrorism "is a battle of good and evil ... a noble cause. You're feared by enemies and thanked by allies and have changed how the world views our military," he said.

The war on terrorism is a total force mission, the general said. He said 60 percent of mobility forces are in the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve. He told Airmen he likes the way the active duty 314th Airlift Wing and Guard 189th Airlift Wing train C-130 crews, then "provide ready aircrews down the street to support the warfighters."

The base mission will grow in the next two years as people and Hercules transports start their transition from Pope Air Force Base, N.C. The move is part of the base realignment and closure process.

"However, this (move) will mean the base will deploy more people and aircraft," the general said.

C-130 aircrews have a demanding deployment operations tempo, but General McNabb said he thinks the high deployment time might start to change when the command starts using more C-17 Globemaster III for tactical airlift missions in Southwest Asia. That is a role usually reserved for the smaller C-130.

"We have been at war since Desert Shield," the general said. "We fly nearly 900 missions a day and never miss a beat. We need to ensure our crews and aircraft sustain excellence."

The reliable "Herc" goes where the action is, from providing international relief to tsunami or earthquake victims in the Far East to bringing relief to Americans during Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, he said.

The general said America's Airmen are the heart of the nation and respected worldwide.

"We're entrusted with America's most cherished right, defending freedom," he said. "You have risen to the sounds of the guns, been tested under fire, and I am proud of you."