You can sleep well tonight -- 13th Air Force is awake

  • Published
  • By Lt. Gen. Loyd S. Utterback
  • 13th Air Force commander
HICKAM AIR FORCE BASE, Hawaii (AFPN) --  As the newest "Component-Numbered Air Force," or C-NAF, on the block, 13th Air Force is off and running, defining and shaping the "art of command and the science of control" of air, space and information operations in the Pacific theater.

As a C-NAF, we still maintain many of the traditional responsibilities of a NAF, but there is a new twist. Through a dedicated Air Force Forces staff, the 613th Air and Space Operations Center, our detachment in Japan and the 613th Support Group, 13th Air Force members are heavily focused on contingency and war planning and command and control of air and space power.

When those four units come together, we form the Kenney Headquarters and we have already proven our ability across the full spectrum of operations in the Pacific theater, from humanitarian assistance to homeland defense. Although we face the challenges of standing up a new organization, folks at 13th Air Force are working at breakneck speed, making tremendous progress as pioneers in the Pacific to bring unprecedented levels of command and control to our theater.

Today's military machine is capable of extreme violence. We see it on the news daily. But, we also see, that our military, like none other in the world, is also capable of extreme compassion in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations around the globe. The Airmen of 13th Air Force work throughout that full spectrum.

The South Pole is in our address book. One of our cornerstone missions is providing command and control for Joint Task Force Support Forces Antarctica's Operation Deep Freeze, which provides operational and logistical support to the National Science Foundation. The National Science Foundation's U.S. Antarctic Program and our 2006 to 2007 season was the most successful to date. Despite the challenges from harsh polar weather, this was a record breaking year with the JTF moving 14 million pounds of cargo and 6,000 people throughout the Antarctic.

Just a few weeks ago, 13th Air Force members aided the Japanese government and citizens by coordinating the delivery of much needed supplies after the earthquake in Niigata Prefecture. They are also supported the Oceana humanitarian assistance mission, providing medical and dental care, public health education and engineering projects for needy populations in Oceana. As you can see, it's all about our 13th Air Force Airmen's, Soldiers' and Sailors' abilities to quickly deliver medical and civil assistance to remote areas of our vast Pacific area of operations.

To prepare for combat, 13th Air Force members participate in nearly 30 exercises per year and in operations with foreign allies and sister services. Our warfighters recently planned and executed a joint concept development initiative flown in the vicinity of Okinawa, Japan, involving F-22 Raptors and Marine Corps aircraft. We also successfully commanded and controlled the first-ever overseas deployment of F-22s from Langley Air Force Base, Va., to Kadena Air Base, Japan, involving 254 people and 200 short tons of associated equipment who flew more than 600 sorties over three months supporting U.S. efforts to promote regional peace and security.

At Hickam AFB, 13th Air Force members hosted visitors from 35 foreign nations and as the theater joint forces commander, I and teams of our great Airmen recently traveled to Australia, Indonesian, Malaysia, Singapore, India, Thailand and Japan to mention just a few of the 41 countries in our area of responsibility. We will continue to drink tea with our allies, lend a hand when needed, and train hard with our joint and coalition partners to ensure a common understanding of air, space and information operations. This full-spectrum engagement allows us to facilitate operations with one another and smooth the transition from routine to contingency operations.

Although the 13th Air Force staff works hard, we also take time out to have fun and contribute to our community partners. On months with a Friday the 13th, we execute "Jungle Day" -- a tradition carried forward from when 13th Air Force headquarters was located in Guam. In July, Jungle Day involved giving back to our community. We sent 120 of our finest Air Force and Army ambassadors to local schools, retirement homes and local homeless shelters to spread the Air Force story and to spend time with our community's children, senior citizens and our disadvantaged citizens.

These jungle warriors touched the lives of many children and retirees, and made a tremendous impact on our community. In the words of the children who sent thank you notes to the speakers, "The Air Force rocks!"

I'm extremely proud of what our Airmen, Soldiers and Sailors in 13th Air Force have accomplished in such a short period of time, and I am confident that our warriors will continue to set the pace for air, space and information operations in the theater. Rest assured -- 13th Air Force is alive and well, and the Airmen of 13th Air Force stand ready to project peace, power and presence in support of Pacific Air Forces and U.S. Pacific Command.

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