Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and civilians in the KMC area … I would like to take a moment to thank and congratulate you all for the incredible support and accomplishments I have witnessed in the last 2 1/2 years as commander of the 435th Air Ground Operations Wing. Our nation and our allies have called upon you time and time again, and you have always delivered 100 percent. From Afghanistan to Libya; from Moron AB, Spain, to Mihail Kogalniceanu, Romania; and from Northern England to Southern Africa, you have provided air, ground and sea combat capabilities to further U.S. and NATO strategic objectives.
From my vantage point at the 435th AGOW, I had the honor to watch as you trained and sent thousands of Airmen to combat operations in Afghanistan. Whether it was training security forces at Creek Defender, training services personnel at Silver Flag or training airborne, air assault and airdrop operations on the local ranges, you always provided realistic and challenging training so our service men and women had the tools necessary to succeed in the demanding operational environment.
You moved personnel and cargo through expeditionary and fixed port facilities to feed the fight and care for our wounded warriors. You have supported or transported nearly every person and piece of equipment that has fought in Afghanistan or deployed to Africa. And you were the first ones on the ground to evacuate noncombatants prior to air operations in Libya and to repatriate survivors from the attack on Benghazi. In summary, your tactical and strategic lift capabilities have been phenomenal.
You have built a European Ballistic Missile Defense capability and provided command and control to expeditionary forces in the European and Africa Command areas of responsibility. You have supported a new aviation detachment in Poland and partnered with allies to build standardized procedures and increased combined capabilities. And you have led and professionally supported the largest concentration of Americans outside the U.S. — all with a touch of class during dwindling budgets.
You have been outstanding ambassadors of U.S. forward presence and worked to create innovative joint and combined partnerships. Our German hosts have welcomed us into their homes and taken care of us when we needed it most. They’ve delivered our children in their hospitals and worked through the night to save our Airmen who were attacked at the Frankfurt airport. Their hospitality and generosity is the best I have ever seen.
And, you continually worked innovative solutions to decrease staff sizes during increased operations tempo. You reorganized U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa to support combined operations in both the EUCOM and AFRICOM AORs. You combined two air and space operations centers into one, two numbered Air Forces into one, and combined the 3rd Air Force and USAFE staffs into one that simultaneously supports expeditionary operations and staff organizational functions.
You’ve conquered all the challenges that we’ve thrown out for you, and I’d like to thank you all for your commitment, dedication and sacrifices. As Laura and I move on, you will remain in our hearts and memories. It has been a privilege and an honor to serve with each and every one of you. KMC … You rock!
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Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and civilians in the KMC area … I would like to take a moment to thank and congratulate you all for the incredible support and accomplishments I have witnessed in the last 2 1/2 years as commander of the 435th Air Ground Operations Wing. Our nation and our allies have called upon you time and time again, and you have always delivered 100 percent. From Afghanistan to Libya; from Moron AB, Spain, to Mihail Kogalniceanu, Romania; and from Northern England to Southern Africa, you have provided air, ground and sea combat capabilities to further U.S. and NATO strategic objectives.
From my vantage point at the 435th AGOW, I had the honor to watch as you trained and sent thousands of Airmen to combat operations in Afghanistan. Whether it was training security forces at Creek Defender, training services personnel at Silver Flag or training airborne, air assault and airdrop operations on the local ranges, you always provided realistic and challenging training so our service men and women had the tools necessary to succeed in the demanding operational environment.
You moved personnel and cargo through expeditionary and fixed port facilities to feed the fight and care for our wounded warriors. You have supported or transported nearly every person and piece of equipment that has fought in Afghanistan or deployed to Africa. And you were the first ones on the ground to evacuate noncombatants prior to air operations in Libya and to repatriate survivors from the attack on Benghazi. In summary, your tactical and strategic lift capabilities have been phenomenal.
You have built a European Ballistic Missile Defense capability and provided command and control to expeditionary forces in the European and Africa Command areas of responsibility. You have supported a new aviation detachment in Poland and partnered with allies to build standardized procedures and increased combined capabilities. And you have led and professionally supported the largest concentration of Americans outside the U.S. — all with a touch of class during dwindling budgets.
You have been outstanding ambassadors of U.S. forward presence and worked to create innovative joint and combined partnerships. Our German hosts have welcomed us into their homes and taken care of us when we needed it most. They’ve delivered our children in their hospitals and worked through the night to save our Airmen who were attacked at the Frankfurt airport. Their hospitality and generosity is the best I have ever seen.
And, you continually worked innovative solutions to decrease staff sizes during increased operations tempo. You reorganized U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa to support combined operations in both the EUCOM and AFRICOM AORs. You combined two air and space operations centers into one, two numbered Air Forces into one, and combined the 3rd Air Force and USAFE staffs into one that simultaneously supports expeditionary operations and staff organizational functions.
You’ve conquered all the challenges that we’ve thrown out for you, and I’d like to thank you all for your commitment, dedication and sacrifices. As Laura and I move on, you will remain in our hearts and memories. It has been a privilege and an honor to serve with each and every one of you. KMC … You rock!