Morón keeps aircraft moving, projects expeditionary air power

  • Published
  • By Capt. Elizabeth Aptekar
  • U.S. Air Forces in Europe Public Affairs
MORÓN AIR BASE, Spain (AFPN) --  About halfway between the United States and the Middle East, the runway here was recently labeled by Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche as “the irreplaceable gateway” for aircraft, cargo and troops headed for central and Southwest Asia .

U.S. Air Forces in Europe leaders visited here recently and met with Airmen and their families, and they received briefings highlighting current programs and activities.

In the week before the visit, people here supported 708 troops, served more than 1,000 flight meals, serviced 86 aircraft, pumped 1.9 million gallons of fuel and provided the thoroughfare for 1,300 tons of cargo, base officials said.

Col. Robert Pecoraro, 712th Air Base Group commander, said although the base falls under USAFE, it is a total-force provider critical to getting people and supplies in and out of the theater.

“The real story of Morón is that it’s a total-force commitment to expeditionary operations,” he said. “The mission is key and essential, and actually takes us all working as a team to do it.”

The Spanish-owned air base is located in southern Spain near Seville and has about 120 active-duty Airmen assigned for 15- to 24-month tours.

At any given time, a variety of aircraft are parked on the ramp from KC-135 Stratotanker and C-5 Galaxy aircraft to F-16 Fighting Falcons which provide many capabilities to theater commanders. The base is also an alternate emergency landing site for NASA space shuttles.

During the first of his scheduled base visits as the new 38th Combat Support Wing commander, Col. Rich Weathers said his goal is to make sure people understand why the wing exists and to ensure people at headquarters understand the missions of the geographically separated units as well.

“I’m convinced that you have to walk a mile in their shoes to understand their issues and concerns, and see how they live day-to-day,” the colonel said. “My mission in life is to ensure they have the things they need to get their jobs done -- no matter what (they are) -- whether it’s quality of life or airfield operations.”

The 712th ABG serves as the host unit here and falls under the 38th CSW which was activated at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, May 25 and aligns dozens of geographically separated units located throughout Europe under a single command.

The alignment under the new wing provides functional experts dedicated to address support-related issues for the units, previously supported by the headquarters and two numbered Air Forces.

Since the 1970s, a small group of military members and civilian contractors stationed here have remained busy supporting contingency operations from Operation Desert Storm to the war on terrorism. (Courtesy of USAFE News Service)