9th Air Force commander visits Moody

  • Published
  • By By Senior Airman S.I. Fielder
  • 347th Rescue Wing Public Affairs
MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. (AFPN) --  The 9th Air Force commander visited here April 18 and 19 to welcome the 347th Rescue Wing back to Air Combat Command, and visit other units.

During his visit, Lt. Gen. Gary L. North toured the Senior Airman Jason D. Cunningham Airman Leadership School, various wing squadrons and the 820th Security Forces Group. He also spent time talking to Airmen about what their future looks like in the command. 

At an Airman’s call, General North addressed several key issues.

He said the wing’s mission will continue to be combat search and rescue. Everyone’s focus, from wing leaders down to the newest wing Airman, should be to ensure their deployment readiness and training processes allowing the wing to deploy and employ when tasked, while successfully executing the search and rescue mission.

Airmen were also able to ask the general questions. In discussing what he called the “bottom line” validation, General North answered how the wing mission will change now that it is part of the command.

“No change ... in fact,” the general said. “The end recipient of what you do every day doesn’t care if there is an (Air Force Special Operations Command) or ACC patch on your uniform, whether it’s in the desert or picking someone up off of a house, like during (Hurricanes) Katrina and Rita. What they care about is someone is coming either by parachute, rappelling, boat or walking to save their life.”

General North also discussed the Air Force’s future and the ongoing transformation efforts. He said an additional part of Moody’s mission is to continually support deployed combat operations.

As the Air Force goes through many changes and transformations, from Base Realignment and Closure and Quadrennial Defense Review; Moody Airmen must continue to maintain the mission’s focus and excel in everything they do, General North said.

“If you’re a (pararescueman), (combat rescue officer), maintainer or security forces professional -- no matter what you do or who you are in our Air Force -- the most important thing is you do your job extremely well,” he said.

The general also highlighted the road map for “right-sizing” the total-force structure during the next five years. He said although it may affect some people here, it should not affect the job Moody completes every day or its deployed mission.

“We are gone a lot, and we will continue to be gone a lot,” the general said about the ongoing operations tempo. “In prosecuting this long war, we will be on the road for a long time.

“I believe the last military person in a sustained environment to redeploy from Iraq or Afghanistan will be an Airman,” he said. “And that Airman will probably be on a C-130 (Hercules).”

The general also visited Moody’s other ACC unit, the 820th SFG. He reviewed the group’s operations plans, toured their facilities and met with several Airmen.

Overall, the general said he hopes the wing transition remains smooth and Airmen continue to do what they do best.

“‘So others may live’ is an incredible motto,” General North said. “But it is more than that; it’s a lifestyle.”