Air Force secretary visits AMC, USTRANSCOM
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SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. (USTCNS) --- Secretary of the Air Force James G. Roche visited here April 11 to meet with leaders of U.S. Transportation Command and Air Mobility Command and see firsthand how worldwide air mobility forces are launched into action.
Roche assessed the commands as tremendous assets to the nation's defense and applauded the efforts of AMC's airlift and aerial refueling contributions to the global war on terrorism.
"It's nice to see the incredible group of people who have been managing this operation for month after month and to see the tools they use. Information technology is clearly a major contribution and the exploitation of that technology is really quite remarkable. I'm very impressed," said Roche.
"For the first time in the history of war this country has fought in a land-locked area where every single thing going in and coming out has gone by air. Food, water, ammunition, troops were all transported by air, and that's really quite incredible."
The secretary noted that both commands have a special role in the global war on terrorism both in Afghanistan and stateside.
"It can be said that TRANSCOM, and the Air Force, have fought two theaters of war at the same time. In fact, the number of sorties flown until recently were very close. 20,000 sorties in the operating area around Afghanistan compared to 18,500 in the United States," said Roche.
He explained that often people are surprised at the degree of stress Operation Noble Eagle has had on both fighter and tanker forces based in the United States.
"TRANSCOM and AMC were under tremendous operational strain fighting two theaters of war simultaneously," said Roche.
"The president has said that this will be a long-term campaign, and Afghanistan is still a volatile place," said Roche. "I think especially volatile for TRANSCOM and AMC assets. Because on any given day there could be a terrorist who wants to set up and try to knock out one of our aircraft coming in or going out."
While the global war on terrorism is not over, the secretary explained that operations for both Enduring Freedom and Noble Eagle have hit a plateau. Priorities are focusing more on sustainment and rotation. Supply of forces currently based in theater and regeneration of aircraft and people are a high priority now.
"The Air Force is no longer focused on the heavy bombings like we had in Operation Anaconda," said Roche. "Sustainment and rotation is now the major task in OEF. So what is going on there now is not so much the pushing of new stuff forward as much as replenishing, sustaining and rotating airmen as part of the AEF (Aerospace Expeditionary Force)."
Operations supporting Noble Eagle are similarly stabilizing according to Roche.
"In Noble Eagle we have a reduction in the number of aircraft in the air. We are keeping more tankers on alert as we approach a more steady and sustainable state," said Roche.
One of the ways Roche, and the Air Force, is looking to help alleviate some of the long-term stress on the KC-135 and KC-10 aircraft is the possible leasing of 767s. It's their hope this will also accelerate the modernization of AMC's aging tanker fleet.
"Our reasoning for doing this is there is a potential for doing something that is economically very sensible for the Air Force," said Roche. He said bringing in a new world-class tanker into AMC will drastically reduce the demand for maintenance and depot time as compared to older aerial-refueling aircraft currently in the Air Force's inventory.
Leasing aircraft has great potential to be economical for the Air Force, explained Roche, because costs are restricted to use of the aircraft and not cost associated with development and testing of new aircraft. "When you lease an aircraft you only start paying for it the moment it shows up on your field. You don't pay for it ahead of time.
"This could save us a lot of money. And we could get them a lot sooner than [if the Air Force where to develop and purchase aircraft], which would not get them in the force until the end of the decade."
Roche also explained that leasing 767s gives the Air Force an opportunity to retire 124 KC-135 E models while also giving AMC and the Air Force the chance to determine if configurations of leased aircraft are acceptable to future tanker purchases.
The Secretary also indicated that modernization and acquisition of airlift capabilities is an Air Force priority saying that there is a growing consensus to continue acquisition of the C-17 and raise the number of aircraft purchased from 180 to as many as 222.
Modernization of other airlift capabilities is also a priority of Roche with a multi-phased C-5 modernization and update to the C-130 fleet.
(FROM AIR MOBILITY COMMAND PUBLIC AFFAIRS)
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