General discusses GWOT, tactical airlift and freedom

Published Nov. 14, 2006
By Capt. David Faggard
314th Airlift Wing Strategic Information Flight

LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE, Ark. -- Responsible for 139,000 air mobility forces worldwide, the Air Force's head airlifter discussed the Global War on Terror and the impact tactical airlift and Airmen have around the world.
General Duncan McNabb, Air Mobility Command commander, spoke to base Airmen here Friday, often referring to them as his "Band of Brothers" and thanked them and their families for "standing tall, and defending the nation against a terrible and evil enemy."
Working in the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001 had a profound impact on his speech to base Airmen.
"This is a battle of good and evil ... a noble cause; you're feared by enemies and thanked by allies; you have changed how the world views our military," he said.
The GWOT is a total force mission, the general stated, noting that 60 percent of mobility forces are in the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve. He said he liked the way the 314th and 189th Airlift Wings train C-130 crews, then "provide ready aircrews down the street to support the warfighters."
The base will grow he said noting that aircraft and people will start arriving from Pope AFB, N.C., in about 16 months under the Base Realignment and Closure process.
"However, this will mean the base will deploy more people and aircraft," he said. Currently C-130s and their crews are often ranked as having the highest deployment operation's tempo in the Air Force.
But, the general said he thinks high deployment time might start to decline noting that AMC will start using C-17s for tactical airlift missions in the Central Command Area of Responsibility, 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."
Whether providing international relief to tsunami or earthquake victims in the Far East, to bringing relief to Americans during Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, our Airmen were there, he said thanking a theater full of Airmen.
The general thanked the Airmen for their professionalism and dedication to freedom.
"You're the heart of the nation and freedom loving people around the world. 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."