Secretary Roche visits Manas Air Base

  • Published
MANAS AIR BASE, Kyrgyzstan (AFPN) --  Airmen of the 376th Air Expeditionary Wing welcomed Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche for his inaugural visit here April 14 to 16.

Manas is the primary strategic airlift hub for operations in and around Afghanistan and provides tactical-airlift and aerial-refueling support for Operation Enduring Freedom. Though this is the first time the secretary has visited Manas, the wing’s mission has not gone unnoticed.

“This trip is for me to come and spend time with all of you,” the secretary said. “(I) want to see how you are living, what you are doing and to say thank you. A lot of people are dependent on what you do, and I want you know how much you are appreciated.”

Secretary Roche said the contributions of Manas warriors could be seen in the wide-eyed Soldiers wing Airmen transport downrange who return home veterans of the war on terrorism.

“What you do is critical with what is going on (in Afghanistan),” Secretary Roche said.

Col. Steven Kelley, 376th AEW commander, said the visit raised troop morale sky high and was a testament to the success of the wing’s people and mission.

“It’s an honor for the secretary to take time out of his busy scheduled to come to Manas,” Colonel Kelley said. “We know our sacrifices and hard work are truly appreciated.

“Our people showed the secretary first-hand the part we play in prosecuting the global war on terror. They are the reason we’ve got the bad guys on the run.”

The first stop on the secretary’s tour was the recently expanded fuels bladder “farm” that keeps the theater’s thirsty warfighting aircraft filled.

The secretary got a glimpse of the future of Manas by visiting the new wing operations center. The center will house the wing’s operations group, flying squadrons, operations support squadron, weather section, intelligence office, command post and maintenance operation center under one roof in a transition from tents to a metal, semi-permanent structure.

The secretary met with Airmen for dinner April 15 and breakfast April 16. For many Airmen, the informal atmosphere shed new light on Air Force policies by hearing about the issues firsthand from the secretary.

“It was interesting for me to hear his perspective on Air Force issues, especially the new uniform,” said Airman 1st Class Adam Crockett of the 376th Expeditionary Contracting Squadron deployed from Grand Forks Air Force Base, N.D. “You hear a lot of things through the rumor mill, but when you hear him talk about it and hear the research and reasons behind the changes -- from the way it looks to its sizing -- it makes a lot of sense. I think it will create a sense of pride.”

In light of the ongoing sexual-assault assessments in the Air Force, Secretary Roche reminded Airmen that the battle against sexual assault and harassment is one the Air Force is going to win.

“We can’t put up with it. It’s not what our Air Force is about,” he said. “Our Air Force should be about respecting the competence of Airmen regardless of gender, ethnic origin or their race. We cannot have any Airman afraid of any other Airman. We cannot have that and will not tolerate it.”

The secretary also reminded Airmen they have a responsibility in suicide prevention.

“We have to worry about each other, care for each other, and when (you) spot depression, you’ve got to do something, you’ve got to let somebody know,” he said.

Secretary Roche ended his visit by saying the services’ success depends on Airmen taking care of one another.

“I want you to walk away with a sense of obligation to respect and care for each other. It’s the only way we can make it through a war and make it so everyone makes it home as best as they can,” he said.