SATAF team visits Little Rock AFB

  • Published
  • By Capt. Michael Ueda
  • 19th Airlift Wing Plans and Programs
LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE, Ark. --  A Site Activation Task Force team comprised of Air Force Reserve Command, Air Education and Training Command, Air Mobility Command and the National Guard Bureau visit Little Rock Air Force Base Monday.

The team, which also includes members of the 19th Airlift Wing, 314th Airlift Wing and 189th Airlift Wing, will address many of the challenges of transitioning the active-duty Air Force's largest C-130 Flying Training Unit to an AFRC associate unit.

Beginning in fiscal year 2011, the 62nd Airlift Squadron and associated active-duty maintenance units will begin to draw down and retire its aging fleet of C-130E aircraft. In its place, the Reserve component training unit will stand up to train legacy C-130 aircrew and provide flightline maintenance.

As part of the Total Force Integration Plan, AFRC will bring in 10 C-130H and Air National Guard will add an additional eight C-130H to meet initial and requalification C-130 programmed flight training requirements.

By fiscal year 2015, AFRC will bring in or hire 223 aircrew and 483 maintainers to work part and full time at Little Rock AFB to replace the 223 and 336 active-duty aircrew and maintainers associated with the 62nd AS.

The challenges of implementing this Total Force Integration Plan is not limited to just operations and maintenance. The Task Force's goals are to identify milestone events, codify working relationships and organization, and develop work plans and workarounds. They will also discuss the costs and impact to Little Rock's communications, logistics, security, services and medical needs.

"The SATAF is a critical early step in implementing headquarters Air Force's decision to transition aircrew training from active-duty units to reserve assets. Getting this right is necessary to ensure a smooth transition and effective force structure to support long term operations and maintenance," said Col. Greg Otey, 19th Airlift Wing commander. "The survey, analysis and conclusions obtained from this planning process will ensure Little Rock continues to provide the best possible C-130 Combat Airlifters to the Air Force, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve Command."