Dominguez talks about present course in Iraq, future for Airmen

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Melissa Phillips
  • 407th Air Expeditionary Group Public Affairs
TALLIL AIR BASE, Iraq (AFPN) --  During the acting secretary of the Air Force’s visit here June 29, he said part of the reason he came was to pass on a message.

“I want to let you know how deeply appreciated your service is by the men and women of the United States,” Michael L. Dominguez said. “There is a debate in our country about where we are going in Iraq, how long we’ll be here and if we should have a deadline on operations here.

“That is a healthy part of our democracy at work, but don’t think for a minute that Americans don’t support our men and women in uniform,” he said, adding that only one outcome is definitive in his mind.

“What is clear and certain is this air base will be a part of a free, sovereign, democratic and prosperous Iraq, because of what you’ve achieved here today,” he said.

As in past wars, he said this battle is not without its risks.

“Iraq is a dangerous place still,” Mr. Dominguez said. “The enemy is wily, crafty, tenacious, imaginative … if you can image the worst possible traits in the enemy -- you got it.”

Mr. Dominguez said he wished he had a crystal ball to tell Airmen where they would possibly deploy in the future, but said there is one thing he knows for sure.

“The enemy we fight today is global and stateless … and that global nature is a challenge,” he said. “We will go to where states are struggling to control what’s happening inside their borders.”

To take the fight to the enemy, he said Airmen will have to think outside the box of traditional mission environments of the past.

“The future of the Air Force is expeditionary,” Mr. Dominguez said. “It’s joint, and it’s working with the coalition and a lot of (joint endeavors among various governmental departments).

“You must continue to transform into an expeditionary force, and that’s not just an air and space expeditionary force mentality,” he said. “That’s a whole new mindset. It means changing all your systems, processes and practices to think expeditionary.”

He said it also means Airmen will have to learn new skills that traditionally were shouldered by their sister service counterparts in the past.

“You’ll be in some ugly places in terms of the security environment,” Mr. Dominguez said. “We must continue creating Airmen who are comfortable with combat skills.

“In an expeditionary Air Force, the battle is right here, and you’ll need to pick up that rifle and engage,” he said.

On the flip side of necessary force, he said, is the power of communication.

“Every Airman is an ambassador,” he said. “You interface with the men and women of Iraq. You can either help us or set us back by months or years.”

It is a privilege and responsibility all servicemembers are aware of worldwide, he said, but asked Airmen to recognize the stakes are higher here.

“We are liberators, not conquerors,” he said. “We are here to help create a nation that allows their countrymen to stand up and face the terror their under every day.”

As the Fourth of July approaches, Americans will soon gather together to celebrate the tenacity and dedication the forefathers showed when building a nation free from oppressive rule.

While many will be barbequing and swimming, American servicemembers deployed far from home are monumentally tasked with helping a nation of people struggle from underneath the weight of oppression -- to gain their own freedom and independence.

“We are here to find a way to help them celebrate their achievements,” Mr. Dominguez said. “That’s the skill of an ambassador.

“That’s not something we did in the past, but a big piece of what we have to do in the future,” he said.