18 AF commander visits McChord

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Kirsten Wicker
  • 62nd Airlift Wing Public Affairs
MCCHORD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. --  The 18th Air Force commander and former Team McChord member returned for a visit to the Great Northwest Aug. 26-28.
 
"I couldn't be prouder of the Airmen here at McChord," said Maj. Gen. Winfield "Skip" W. Scott III. 

General Scott completed his first assignment in the Air Force in McChord's 8th Airlift Squadron as a flight simulator instructor, airdrop and air refueling flight examiner, airlift director and assistant chief of standardization and evaluation. 

On his return trip to the base 27 years later, the general visited various work centers and locations, met with Airmen at the dining facility and toured the consolidated toolkit shop where new Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st Century initiatives are being implemented. 

He spoke on fighting and winning the global war on terror, McChord's 4th Airlift Squadron participation in the humanitarian aid air drop to Georgia, housing privatization, Air Mobility Command Rodeo 2009 and the future challenges and goals for 18th Air Force and Air Mobility Command and the joint-basing initiative between McChord and Army neighbor Fort Lewis. 

"The relationship McChord and Fort Lewis have is a superb relationship. It will continue to grow. We fight jointly today; tomorrow we will fight jointly," said General Scott. "That is what is so exciting about the future of McChord: Total Force, joint base. We [the Air Force and the Army] will fight together and live together." 

In addition to joint basing, General Scott also spoke about the effectiveness of air mobility in the recent humanitarian airlift of aid to Georgia. 

"Those Airmen focus on specific missions... We have such flexibility and our crews are so well trained, adaptable, and our command and control processes are in place that we can take a crew that is airborne, divert them to another mission and provide them the tools to execute it and there's no impact to the work," he said. "It really comes down to the training and the skill sets in place that enable them to do that." 

Mobility, he said, contains three functions that are essential: airlift, tanker operations and aeromedical evacuation. 

"We move the forces. We move quickly and efficiently. We take care of our forces," said General Scott. "No other nation in the world can take soldiers wounded on the battlefield and 24 hours later they are at a medical center in Washington, D.C. It is an unbelievable capability our Air Force has."

The 18th Air Force and AMC's top priorities are those of the Air Force - winning today's fight, taking care of our people, and preparing for tomorrow's challenges. General Scott reiterated these priorities to McChord Airmen during his visit. 

"The mission, today's war, is very important. However, our No. 1 resource is our people, our Airmen. It is our responsibility to make sure they are trained and equipped to execute today's mission," he said. "At the same time, we need to be looking forward to the future. What are the future wars? What are the requirements for those future wars? How do we adapt our training today while still maintaining our focus on today's war and being prepared?" 

McChord's readiness and training continues to include AMC's Airlift Rodeo. In 2007, more than 45 U.S. teams along with nine international teams competed at McChord to be named the best in their fields and also to be named the overall "Best of the Best". 

"Rodeo brings in our international coalition partners. We build on those relationships that will pay huge dividends in future humanitarian [operations] and conflicts. We share ideas and we share techniques and tactics," said General Scott. "It is important for Airmen in AMC to build those relationships with their fellow Airmen and also build them internationally."