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Mobility commander witnesses expeditionary training in action

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Scott T. Sturkol
  • U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center Public Affairs
FORT DIX, N.J. --  Gen. Arthur Lichte made his first official visit to the U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center here as the commander of Air Mobility Command Jan. 22, and witnessed some of the ways the Center carries out its mission to train expeditionary Airmen. 

During the visit, Air Force Exercise Eagle Flag and the Phoenix Warrior Training Course 08-2 were in full swing. When combined, both courses train and test nearly 600 Airmen in expeditionary combat support skills. 

General Lichte noted the Center, through all of its training in the Mobility Operations School, Expeditionary Operations School and supporting units, is a frontline contributor to the Air Force's top priority - winning the Global War on Terrorism. 

"It contributes directly to our warfighting ability because it prepares Airmen, gets them ready to move out quickly, and helps them know what to expect in the deployed environment," General Lichte said. "We're an expeditionary Air Force and expeditionary Airmen need to know that this is our job - to pick up, go, set up an air base and establish operations." 

General Lichte used Eagle Flag to illustrate the importance of Airmen having combat skills. In each exercise, nearly 400 Airmen build a base utilizing three force modules -- open the base, command and control, and establish the base. 

"I think it goes back to our heritage of opening up airfields," General Lichte said. "It's absolutely essential that Airmen can get in, be the first ones on a particular base, open up the airfield, and then start operations which eventually transition to an established base. For Airmen, this is our core competency - to get in and open up an airfield." 

During a recent visit to Southwest Asia, General Lichte said he saw expeditionary Airmen in action. After also seeing USAF EC courses in action, he said the training scenarios provided here and the deployed environment "is an absolute parallel. 

"The things that I saw (in Southwest Asia) are exactly what you see here," he said. "Of course it is a little bit warmer over there, but the conditions are austere. Our Airmen are operating in a very tough environment alongside Soldiers, Sailors and Marines -- and for them to learn key elements at early stages - what to expect when they get deployed - it's happening right here at Fort Dix. It's absolutely essential that we prepare our Airmen and that's what it's all about." 

General Lichte also highlighted that Airmen are in the fight every day. He said the USAF EC is at the tip of the spear in leading the effort to prepare Airmen for that fight. 

"Our first priority, of course, is fighting and winning the global war on terror and kind of a sub part of this being prepared for the next war," General Lichte said. "Because of lessons learned that are coming back to us, we are learning from that and applying it right here. 

"The second priority is to take care of Airmen," General Lichte said. "Of course we're doing that because we never, ever want to send an Airman into harm's way without the proper training or without the proper equipment. Here, they are focusing on the proper training." 

The U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center's "Eagles" have developed a motto that General Lichte said is very fitting - "Airpower ... from the ground up." 

"'Airpower...from the ground up' is the motto here because everyone looks up to the sky and understands what airpower is all about, but you forget how much support you need on the ground. The Center here prepares Airmen for that - how they can deploy, what happens when they first step off that airplane, how they set up an airfield, and how they set up operations. All of that and more is absolutely essential, and the motto is just perfect because Airmen are certainly the people who are up in the air, but there are a lot of Airmen who are supporting on the ground to accomplish the fight."

The United States Air Force Expeditionary Center's mission is to serve as the Air Force's premier organization for expeditionary innovation, education, training and exercises. The Center delivers innovative expeditionary combat support concepts and capabilities for air mobility, Air Force and joint missions. Through education, training and exercises, the Center prepares forces to effectively accomplish combatant commander and Air Force missions.