FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

AFA NATIONAL PRESIDENT VISITS AIRMEN IN SOUTHWEST ASIA

Contact: Bob Largent at (478) 987-2435 or national_president@afa.org

Arlington, VA, May 17, 2006 – Air Force Association (AFA) National President Bob Largent recently completed a tour of Air Force operations in Southwest Asia, where he interacted with active duty, Guard and Reserve airmen at various facilities in the region. The purpose of his trip was to see first-hand how the work of USAF airmen contributes to the Global War on Terror. Largent’s visit with U.S. Central Command Air Forces ran from May 5-9.

His first stop was the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing and the Combined Air Operations Center, which is the focal point for U.S. Central Command Air Forces operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Largent talked with many airmen who were on repeat deployments and found them to be “dedicated and engaged.” He also noted the presence of many coalition forces—from Australia, Britain, Japan, and South Korea. In talking about the operations tempo at the wing, Largent had a one-word description: "intense."

Largent’s next stop was the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing. Here he spent time with airmen in the 70th Expeditionary Mission Support Squadron, who handle missions that would normally be done by soldiers. The squadron is one of two that drive Army Freightliner 18-wheeler medium trucks and security vehicles on long-haul convoys delivering supplies to ground forces in Iraq. It’s a dangerous business, and two security forces airmen in the 70th EMSS tragically lost their lives in January of this year when their Humvee was struck by an improvised explosive device. Largent was awed by the squadron’s "imagination, creativity and resourcefulness” in upgrading their vehicles, securing needed equipment, and improving unit communications.

The 380th Air Expeditionary Wing was Largent’s final stop. The wing’s primary missions are to provide aerial refueling and reconnaissance, employing KC-135 and KC-10 tankers, and Global Hawk and U-2 recon aircraft. Largent got to witness the extensive preparations required to get pilot and platform ready for a U-2 flight and marveled again at the "professionalism, initiative, focus, enthusiasm and dedication" of the airmen he spent time with.

During his travels, Largent saw an Air Force hard at work in the Global War on Terror performing arduous—and often unconventional and dangerous— missions to protect Americans and guarantee freedoms abroad. "There seems to be a popular perception these days that the Air Force is not really engaged in the current operations in Iraq and Afghanistan,” said Largent. “That couldn’t be further from the truth. What I saw on the ground at CENTCOM were airmen who are directly and fully engaged in the fight in the Global War on Terror, and who are saving lives and doing great credit to this nation through their actions."

For more details on Largent’s trip, AIR FORCE Magazine articles are available online here and here