TOP STORY>> General says get 'back to basics'

By Senior Airman Tim Bazar
314th Airlift Wing Strategic Information Flight


The Air Mobility Command deputy director of Air, Space and Information Operations shared a safety message with Little Rock AFB Airmen Jan. 11 on the recent number of worldwide Class A mishaps.

Brig. Gen. Frederick Roggero stated in his aircrew call that in the last 16 months, five aircrews were involved in Class A mishaps, luckily with no fatalities.

The general warned, “Although this was the Air Force’s safest year (as a whole), it was AMC’s luckiest year. Our luck has run out. We can no longer ignore the fact that if our aircrews aren’t vigilant in everything they do, a fatality will occur.”
He stressed to the AMC, Air Education and Training Command, and Air National Guard Airmen that everyone “get back to basics” to avoid causing a Class A mishap — a permanent total disability or fatality, damage resulting in $1 million or more or destruction of a Department of Defense aircraft.

“General Roggero’s message scored a home run with our instructor aircrews,” said Lt. Col. Stephen Hajosy, 314th Airlift Wing chief of safety. “As we prepare C-130 crew members destined for combat deployments, this is simply one of the most effective ways to drive home the importance of Operational Risk Management and Crew Resource Management skills essential to survive in today’s complex warfighting environment.”

“We’re in a very tenuous period right now,” said General Roggero. “Crew members are the last link in the chain of events involved in a Class A mishap — events that are often disturbing and preventable. We ask that aircrews review their procedures more thoroughly and use more caution when they step to the airplane.”

As Airmen maintain a high operations tempo at home and abroad, it’s important to remain focused, said the general.
“We’re at a continuously sustained operations tempo that we’ve not experienced before,” said General Roggero. “Our crews are highly experienced fighters in the Global War on Terror, but there’s a possibility of complacency. And we need them to get back to basics and use the training and techniques they’ve learned.”

The general also stressed that Gen. Duncan McNabb, AMC commander, and Lt. Gen. Christopher Kelly, AMC deputy commander, consider safety a paramount concern, as every mission in the Global War on Terror is an extremely important one.

“Every Airman knows how important safety is,” said General Roggero, “but we need to make sure we’re taking the proper steps in everything we do.”

Not too much gets done in the Global War on Terror without air mobility, he went on to say.

“Everything depends on airpower, and airpower really depends on air mobility,” he said. “When you look at the intra-theater and inter-theater airlift piece, if we’re going to get there right away and sustain any force at all, you need AMC in the fight.
“We couldn’t conduct or sustain a force anywhere in the world without airlift,” Gen. Roggero said. “The Airmen I’ve met here at Little Rock (AFB) are proud and dedicated to the mission and their part. The C-130 force ... is one of the busiest, most experienced crew forces in AMC and the entire Air Force.”

General Roggero oversees 15 divisions and eight operating locations producing policy, procedures, and lead command guidance to sustain and improve AMC, Mobility Air Forces, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve Command readiness for America’s Global Reach mission.