CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. –
Last week, I attended the Air Force Association's Air and Space Conference and Technology Exposition in Washington, D.C. At the conference, Team Charleston was recognized for numerous accomplishments over the past year.
During his briefing to conference attendees on Sept. 26, Gen. Arthur Lichte, Air Mobility Command commander, discussed the attributes of the total force and its critical role in AMC's ability to accomplish its mission of delivering troops to the fight and keeping convoys off the ground.
General Lichte recounted how seven crewmembers from the 16th Airlift Squadron, deployed as the 816th Expeditionary Squadron, were called upon earlier this year to transport two critically injured Soldiers to Andrews AFB, Md., for life-saving medical attention. The crew, now known as the "RED 7," was part of a total force team consisting of a C-17 from McChord AFB, Wash.; two reservists -- a doctor from Langley AFB, Va., and a nurse from MacDill AFB, Fla.; and several Air National Guardsmen. Both patients survived, and this miracle was possible because of AMC's total force. He said there's no better definition of total force than this.
The 17th Airlift Squadron was presented the 2007 David C. Schilling Award for contributions in the field of flight. They were selected because of their accomplishments while deployed in support of the Global War on Terrorism in 2006. They were the first C-17 Squadron to deploy under the two expeditionary airlift squadron construct. In a 90-day timeframe, they flew more than 3,100 sorties, totaling more than 5,000 hours, and transported more than 84 million pounds of cargo. Lt. Col. Scott DeThomas, 17 AS commander, accepted the award on behalf of the squadron.
We also received kudos from Lt. Gen. Christopher Kelly, AMC vice commander, after the Swedish Delegation, led by Maj. Gen. Michael Moore, visited Charleston AFB Sept. 25 to 27. While here, the delegation learned about our C-17 operations, toured the 437th Aerial Port Squadron and 437th Maintenance Group complex, then flew via C-17 to Scott AFB, Ill. General Kelly commented, "General Moore and the entire delegation were very impressed with everything they saw -- and, as you might expect, General Moore just couldn't stop talking about our people."
Congratulations to Maj. Sun Paik, 437th Comptroller Squadron commander, and his team of professionals from the 437 CPTS Budget Office, 437th Civil Engineer Squadron, 437th Contracting Squadron, Vickie Parrish, 437th Services Squadron, and every wing unit for another successful end-of-year closeout ... everyone was ready to execute when the funds became available, and our Airmen and their families will benefit because of all the hard work!
On a sad note, the Pelicans of the 14th Airlift Squadron pulled together as a true military family as they mourned the recent death of Airman 1st Class Michael Thompkins after a tragic motorcycle accident. Lt. Col. Norman Czubaj, 14 AS commander, and 60 members of the squadron traveled via C-17 to St. Louis for the funeral and to lend their support to Airman Thompkins' family. A special thank you to Capt. Kay Hasson, Master Sgt. Will Brown and Master Sgt. Justin Strain for coordinating the trip and to Chaplain (Capt.) William Brown, 437th Operations Group chaplain, for presiding over the burial ceremony and providing spiritual support.
Lastly, as we start our three-day weekend, I urge commanders and supervisors to make contact with each and every one of your Airmen, either one-on-one or at commanders' calls, to remind them of the importance of keeping safety at the forefront of their activities. Enjoy your weekend, drive responsibly, look after your Wingman and come back safely.
Team Charleston - Take the Fight to the Enemy!