AEF meets the call for air power

  • Published
  • By Maj. Gen. Timothy A. Peppe
  • Special Assistant for Air and Space Expeditionary Force Matters
WASHINGTON (AFPN) --  Whether you were deployed to Southwest Asia launching wave after wave of aircraft, or at your home station working extra shifts to cover for those who were, you know that the global war on terrorism has required a massive Air Force effort.

But oftentimes I think it is hard to appreciate the full spectrum of operations our Air Force has participated in as part of the liberation of Iraq, the destruction of al-Qaida, the protection of our homeland skies, and the other recent operations in defense of our country.

So I thought it would be helpful to provide a “strategic overview” of what the Air Force has been doing since Sept. 11, 2001. To do this, I’ll discuss the large numbers of airmen involved, the air mobility assets used and the incredible combat support efforts undertaken to defend the United States.

Not since Desert Storm has the Air Force been called upon to amass as large a fighting force as it did for the global war on terrorism. The Air Force has responded magnificently to the call for air and space power after 9-11, drawing from an unprecedented six Air and Space Expeditionary Forces. Add to that the significant portion of our air mobility and other enabler forces, and you start to see the immense scope of our service’s recent activities.

Although not everyone in each AEF was called upon to deploy, more than 120,000 airmen were involved and more than 50,000 deployed. And these were not just active duty, but Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve airmen as well.

That total-force effort was also seen on the home front, where almost 20,000 additional active, Guard and Reserve airmen kept our homeland secure, supporting Operation Noble Eagle on the mainland and in Alaska, Hawaii and Guam.

Of course, these war-fighting commitments didn’t just affect those on the front lines. They affected the total Air Force community as home stations reduced services to its non-deployed members, families, Reservists and retirees. In some cases, the Army National Guard and U.S. overseas allies filled in for those deployed by providing security for air bases at home and abroad.

Among the large numbers of people fighting the war on terrorism are many who, prior to Operation Iraqi Freedom, were already operating at a high tempo. Airmen and equipment supporting the E-3 AWACs, E-8 Joint Stars, RC-135 Rivet Joint, U-2, Predator, Global Hawk and air mobility missions, as well as special operations airmen and combat search and rescue forces, were already incredibly busy.

Because of OIF, training programs for the people assigned to these missions were greatly reduced and, in some cases, stopped altogether due to lack of aircraft, aircrews and maintainers.

The global war on terrorism has also required some Herculean efforts by our air mobility team. Air Mobility Command’s total force of active-duty and air-reserve-component forces continued an unrelenting pace that began Sept. 11, 2001, and built our globe-spanning en-route structure, moving people, equipment and supplies, as well as deploying Air Force fighters and bombers. This tremendous effort supported not only the Air Force, but also our sister services and coalition partners.

Many of the people and much of the equipment and supplies AMC moved were part of the extensive combat support efforts the war on terror required. For example, the Air Force opened and operated an additional 18 expeditionary bases around the OIF area of operations, calling upon combat and combat-support capabilities from many AEFs. In some cases, entire Air Force career fields were tapped out.

Opening these bases put pressure on AMC’s tanker and airlift control elements and all of our combat support. After hostilities began, these TALCEs, along with assessment teams and contingency response units, also opened several bases inside Iraq.

The most recent campaign in our country’s war against terror perfectly illustrates the might and power of the U.S. Air Force. As Operation Iraqi Freedom unfolded, the world watched as air power from the Air Force, Navy, Marines and Royal Air Force attacked Iraqi command and control with devastating precision.

The combination of air and space power, special operations and information operations ground down Iraqi forces, leaving them demoralized, disoriented and without effective command and control. As a result, coalition ground forces shattered Iraqi resistance wherever it was encountered.

While the giant-sized efforts of our Air Force are often exhausting and thankless, all airmen should be proud of what they have accomplished. Al-Qaida is in disarray, our homeland skies are safe, and the people of Iraq are finally tasting freedom. In the end, I think our Air Force chief of staff, Gen. John P. Jumper, said it best.

“As we begin the process of redeployment and reconstitution, we can all be proud of the total team effort,” the general said. “Although the AEF may never be called upon in the future to simultaneously deploy people from six AEFs, we can all take great comfort in the knowledge that the AEF can, and will, respond successfully to any challenge our nation faces.”