Now showing: June 23 edition of AFTV News

  • Published
SAN ANTONIO (AFPN) --  The latest edition of Air Force Television News is the first of a two-part presentation of a historic town hall meeting held at the Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio. The program features the secretary, chief of staff and chief master sergeant of the Air Force fielding questions from moderator Master Sgt. Chris Beckwith and a live audience of more than 350 people from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.

During the program, Secretary Dr. James G. Roche told the audience the war in Iraq proved how well the Air Force has adapted to the changing face of war and how capable the service is of working in concert with other branches of the military, as well as military elements from other countries.

“We develop airmen … throughout their careers. We move technology in warfighting in ways that are unprecedented in the history of people. Our part in Operation Iraqi Freedom performed flawlessly because of the men and women who wear our uniform,” Roche said.

The Air Force contribution to the war against Iraq all but broke the back of any potential Iraqi defense, according to Gen. John P. Jumper, Air Force chief of staff.

“I don’t want to pre-empt the analysis (of Operation Iraqi Freedom) that will come out … but I think when the analysis is in, it will confirm what we believe to be true there … that the Iraqis said ‘I can’t go near my equipment … if it moves, it dies,’” he said. “‘I’m just going to walk home’ … I think it was the turning point.”

Jumper said this was true despite using the same aircraft against Saddam Hussein’s regime as was used in Operation Desert Storm more than a decade ago.

Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Gerald Murray emphasized the work done by the enlisted corps in Operation Iraqi Freedom. He pointed out that in an operation that transported the 173rd Army Brigade to a bare-bones airfield in northern Iraq, Air Force crews, both in the air and on the ground, completed the operation without a single aircraft missing its takeoff or landing time. But, Murray told the audience, it is about more than aircraft landing and taking off on time.

“Although this is an extremely challenging time that we serve in, it is also one of the greatest times that we could possibly serve our country, from the support we have from the American public to the understanding by our airmen of the purpose of what we do and why we do it,” he said.

The second part of the meeting will air July 7 as another special edition of Air Force Television News.

Air Force Television News is a biweekly production of Air Force News Service. It is distributed on videotape to more than 3,000 military and civilian outlets worldwide and is seen on more than 700 cable television outlets nationwide. It is also available on the Internet at www.af.mil and can be seen regularly on The Pentagon Channel. Viewers can comment on the program by sending e-mail to: aftvnews@afnews.af.mil.