Generals visit reservists in Iraq

  • Published
  • By 1st Lt. Elizabeth Paul
  • U.S. Central Air Forces-Forward Public Affairs
OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM (AFPN) --  To learn firsthand the issues facing deployed members of Air Force Reserve Command, three Air Force Reserve generals traveled to several overseas locations Sept. 9 to 19.

Making the trip were Maj. Gen. John J. Batbie Jr., AFRC vice commander; Maj. Gen. James Bankers, 22nd Air Force commander; and Maj. Gen. Larry Twitchell, mobilization assistant to the commander of 9th Air Force and the U.S. Central Command Air Force. The trio went to Iraq, Afghanistan and other locations in Southwest Asia, as well as to Germany.

The trip to Iraq included visits to air bases at Tallil, Kirkuk and Baghdad International Airport -- home to thousands of reservists and Air National Guard airmen. During those visits, the generals talked to reservists participating in Operation Iraqi Freedom and observed their working and living conditions.

“The reason we are here, first and foremost, is to thank you for your service and what you do,” said Batbie during a town hall meeting at one of the bases. That theme was the message Reserve people received around the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility throughout the trip.

Besides discussing issues relating directly to reservists in the field, the generals touched on other topics, including family support, pay, the future of the reserve components, equipment and training.

Batbie also talked to the deployed airmen about when they can expect to go home. He said most of them should be off mobilized status no later than March and they can expect deployments to return to the volunteer, two-week tours of duty.

“Requirements are going to drive what’s happening over here (Iraq) and in Afghanistan,” the general said. “It will guide what’s going to happen down the road, and we are going to try to do what we’ve done in the past with volunteers participating in two-week deployments or longer for AEF (air and space expeditionary force) support if at all possible.”

After each meeting, the generals took time to meet the people and talk to them individually about additional concerns.

Batbie said that by visiting the troops in the field he had a better understanding of conditions, which would help when he had to make decisions about future deployments. (Courtesy of AFRC News Service)