TOP STORY > >Commander gets first glimpse of 19th Airlift Wing

Gen. Raymond E. Johns Jr., AMC commander, makes stop at Little Rock Air Force Base Jan. 11-12

By Capt. Joe Knable
19th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

Gen. Raymond E. Johns Jr., commander of Air Mobility Command, visited here Jan. 11 – 12 to meet the Airmen behind the largest and busiest C-130 wing in the Air Force, the 19th Airlift Wing.

General Johns was joined by his wife, Diana, and Chief Master Sgt. David E. Spector, AMC’s command chief master sergeant, for a full itinerary of meetings and events ranging from a tour of base housing renovations to a town hall meeting with Little Rock Airmen.

The 19th AW has already flown more than 5,000 sorties this fiscal year and 57 percent of AMC’s total C-130 hours last year.

The wing is fully invested in the fight, with nearly 650 warfighters currently deployed in support of ongoing operations and another 600 Airmen tasked to deploy soon.

At Little Rock General Johns, joined by leaders and representatives from the base and the wing, received a mission briefing from Col. Greg Otey, the commander of the 19th AW. Leadership of the 153rd and 302nd Airlift Wings, in Wyoming and Colorado respectively, were also in attendance to represent the 19th AW’s two geographically separated squadrons – the 30th and 52nd Airlift Squadrons.

During the mission briefing, Colonel Otey highlighted several of the 19th AW’s accomplishments, such as the base’s seven RODEO 2009 trophies, including best C-130 wing, the 19th Airlift Wing; the AMC 2009 Maintenance Excellence Award winner, the 19th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron; and the thousands of convoy vehicles the wing has helped remove from the dangerous roads in the deployed environment by providing combat airlift.

“These awards reflect how you’re treating each other and what your commanders, chiefs and supervisors are doing with the resources you’ve been given,” said General Johns. “It’s you who are making a difference for these Airmen.”

General Johns lauded the Airmen on their proven ability to provide combat airlift support. “Your airdrop and airland is keeping this operation going,” he said.

“Out of more than 60 countries that fly C-130s, no one does it better than you,” General Johns said during the commander’s call. “You are the very best C-130 operation in the world. You’re making a difference, and no one does it better than you.”