Airmen get direct flights into AOR Published June 9, 2004 By 1st Lt. Christina R. Hoggatt Pacific Air Forces Public Affairs HICKAM AIR FORCE BASE, Hawaii (AFPN) -- Airmen assigned to Pacific Air Forces now have a dedicated flight to take them directly into U.S. Central Command theater when they leave to fill their air and space expeditionary force responsibilities.About 200 Airmen from Yokota and Kadena Air Bases in Japan took the first direct flight into the theater June 5 on a contracted airlift flight, cutting the trip from the previous four to five days to 23 hours. The flight originated at Yokota, flew to Kadena for refueling and passenger pickup, and went a direct route to a forward-deployed location in Southwest Asia. "PACAF (leaders) wanted to find a better way to deploy expeditionary combat support personnel, especially from our bases in Japan," said Lt. Col. Jeff Fetner, chief of PACAF-AEF. "It sometimes took five days and four aircraft changes to deploy a PACAF (Airman)."These contacted flights will deploy them much faster by taking a direct route to the (area of responsibility)," he said. "Our troops will only have to load their gear … at their home base and (unload it) at the AOR main hub, stopping only for gas."Besides cutting down on travel time, the new flights will save on commercial airline ticket costs and eliminate excess commercial baggage fees. It will also reduce the ever-increasing complications of moving weapons through foreign commercial airports, saving money and improving security for Airmen, Colonel Fetner said."This is not a one-time deal," he said. "We want to provide dedicated flights every AEF cycle.”Colonel Fetner said command officials are looking at AEFs 1 and 2 for Airmen deploying from Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska.Command officials are trying to help make deploying more convenient for all of their Airmen, Colonel Fetner said."These new flights will make the process of deploying from any base in PACAF much more efficient," said Lt. Gen. Victor E. Renuart Jr., PACAF vice commander. "Overall it will save time, money and will allow for large numbers of troops to deploy together.”Previously, all contracted flights into Southwest Asia originated from the East Coast of the United States, forcing PACAF Airmen to take at least two travel days just to get to Baltimore or Atlanta. After arrival there, it generally took a day of waiting, then another travel day to get to a deployed location."The new flights are more convenient from every aspect," Colonel Fetner said. (Courtesy of Pacific Air Forces News Service)