Air mobility leaders rally for combat success

  • Published
  • By Lt. Col. Lindsey Borg
  • Air Mobility Command Public Affairs
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. (AFPN) --  Nearly 130 air mobility leaders gathered here Oct. 10 to 12 for Phoenix Rally -- a three-day, focused look at Air Mobility Command's priorities, roles and missions.

"The global reach delivered by air mobility forces truly is America's bridge to combat success," said Gen. Arthur J. Lichte, the AMC commander. 

"Whether it's the airlift bridge, the aeromedical evacuation bridge or the tanker bridge, air mobility is truly at the center of the fight," he said. 

With these words, General Lichte officially kicked off the three-day, total-force conference with commanders from active duty, Reserve, and Guard wings across the command.

Even the organization of the conference sent a clear message to attendees. Each day of the conference covered one of Air Mobility Command's and the Air Force's "Top 3" priorities in detail, and all briefings and discussion were synchronized around this framework.

"Everything we do, we do in support of our top three priorities: Winning the war on terrorism and preparing for the next war, developing and caring for our Airmen and their families, and modernizing the force," General Lichte said.

AMC crews and aircraft are heavily engaged in the war on terrorism, delivering warfighters and warfighting equipment every day to locations around the globe. Among other equipment, the command has delivered more than 500 Mine Resistant Ambush Protected, or MRAP, vehicles to ground forces in Iraq.

In addition, two C-17 Globemaster III expeditionary airlift squadrons are credited with helping to degrade the enemy's improvised explosive device, or IED, strategy, said Maj. Gen. Frederick F. Roggero, AMC's director of Air, Space and Information Operations. C-17s and other aircraft now deliver cargo and people that previously were carried by trucks to destinations throughout Iraq.

The net effect is that airlift has taken the supply and transportation system vertically up out of harm's way, and avoided the need to put 9,400 people and 3,900 trucks in harm's way each month. Just one C-130 Hercules can take the place of 10 ground vehicles and 23 people.

And, when fighting forces are injured, AMC's aeromedical evacuation expertise saves lives, General Lichte said. 

"We team with the medics to give our warfighters a better-than-90-percent chance of survival after a serious injury, and if you can get to Balad Air Base, you have a 97 percent chance of survival," he said. 

AMC is also focused on ensuring "no Airman ever has to go into harm's way without the proper training or equipment," General Lichte said. Predeployment training and equipment enhancements for Airmen, and the Phoenix Spouse program for their families, help ensure AMC Airmen are at the highest level of readiness when they deploy and their families are supported while they're gone.

Force modernization is a critical component of future success. Replacement of the nation's primary air refueling aircraft is the Air Force's No. 1 acquisition priority. Proposals for production of the Air Force's next tanker aircraft are under consideration, and a decision on the contract award is expected in the next few months.

The tanker's on-time delivery is essential to future combat success, the general said.

"If we get the first replacement tanker, the KC-X, on time in 2011, we'll retire the last KC-135 in 2048. Just a three-year slip in this delivery timeline and cutting the annual delivery rate in half will force us to delay retiring the last KC-135 until 2084," General Lichte said. "Under the first scenario, we'd be flying a 92-year-old aircraft in combat. That's unacceptable. Our forces deserve better and Americans should demand better. We need to get on with the work of modernizing our force. It's essential to our nation's wartime readiness."

The Phoenix Rally conference continued along the "Top 3" priorities framework, and other discussions included improved mission efficiency for national energy security, force development initiatives, Air Guard and Reserve collaboration, and other modernization efforts.

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