Newspaper Page Text
♦ FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2007
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Tech. Sgt. Tim Neville
Senior Master Sergeant Jimmy Swartz, Propulsion Fight Chief, briefs Lt. Gen. Craig
McKinley, Director Air National Guard and senior leaders from National Guard Bureau
and the 116th Air Control Wing on engine work being accomplished at the 116th
ACW.
Director of ANG visits
blended Total Force Wing
By n6thAir Control Wing
Public Affairs Office
The director of the Air
National Guard visited the
Air Force’s only blended
Total Force Wing, Feb. 10
and 11, as a part of his ini
tiative to visit units and get
a first hand look at the mis
sions and troops of the Air
National Guard.
During his visit to the
116th Air Control Wing at
Robins Air Force Base, Lt.
Gen. Craig McKinley was
able to sit down with the
wing public affairs staff to
discuss the current state
and the future of the Air
National Guard. The follow
ing is an excerpt of that
interview.
Q - How is the Total
Force concept changing
the relationship between
the Air National Guard
and the active duty Air
Force?
A - Our Air Force is going
through a journey, a peri
od of time in which it is
transforming itself to meet
the needs of the 21st cen
tury. We therefore are try
ing to create organizational
constructs that allow us to
leverage the strengths of all
our components and utilize
the equipment we’re given
in the most efficient and
effective way. We will do
this through the Total Force
Initiative process.
Q - How vital is the
Air National Guard’s
role in the Global War on
Terror?
A - On Sept. 11, 2001 the
terrorists brought the war to
us. And the National Guard
responded, as it always has,
by leaving their families and
their jobs and joining hand
in-hand with their active
duty counterparts and fight
ing the terrorists in the
away game. While, at home
we continue to defend the
skies of the United States
of America with our aircraft
and our people.
Q - How has the Air
National Guard changed
since the beginning of the
Global War on Terror?
A - What I’ve seen is a very
positive change in that we’ve
brought people together with
a common cause who are
well trained, well equipped
and well led to fight the war.
What has changed dramati
cally is that we are asking
our citizen Airman to do far
more than we ever did previ
ously. We have transitioned
from a strategic Reserve to
an operational Reserve and I
don’t see any end in sight for
that. It’s creating an envi
ronment by which our people
have to make tough choices,
because all members of the
Guard have three
main responsibilities:
to their families, to their
employers and to their
nation. We have to remem
ber that if we get any one
of those out of balance it
will create problems for the
member. We have to keep it
in balance.
Q - What are the Air
National Guard’s current
top priorities?
A - We have priorities just
like our Air Force has pri
orities so I am going to start
with Chief of Staff of the
Air Force, Gen. T. Michael
Moseley’s priorities. His
number one priority is to win
the Global War on Terror
and the Chief of National
Guard Bureau, Lt. Gen. H.
Steven Blum and I agree
with that. We will do every
thing we can in the National
Guard to provide trained,
equipped and readied forces.
The second issue is that we
want to take care of our
Airman. So we want to make
sure we leave no Airman
behind and every Airman
has a chance to perform up
to his or her capabilities.
Thirdly our Air National
Guard must recapitalize its
platforms so that we can be
a ready, willing and trained
partner in the 21st century
Air Force. All three of those
priorities that Gen. Moseley
has set are mine and we
want to make sure, addi
tionally, that we don’t lose
our cultural identity as the
nation’s community based
defense force. We are located
in most every town and every
state in this nation and we
give people the opportunity
to serve their nation where
they live and that’s impor
tant for our country and for
our Air Force.
Q - Define an “Adaptable
Airman.”
A - An ‘Adaptable Airman’
is an Airman who under
stands that the United
States is great because we're
able to adapt to change.
They understand that noth
ing stays constant forever
and that airman who can
transform in their lives,
their careers and their abili
ties and capabilities to meet
the demands of the day are
those who are going to be
most effective.
Q - How is the Air
National Guard continu
ing to support the home
land mission with con
stant deployments over
seas?
A - In the Air National
Guard we have 106, 000
members and we have
plenty of forces to meet our
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requirements in the Air
Expeditionary Force and to
do those things at home,
like responding to natural
disaster. We also have, at
the national level with our
governors and adjutants
general, the ability to move
Soldiers and Airmen across
state lines to support other
states at the request of the
governors. This agreement
has allowed us to fill the
voids at home of Soldiers or
Airmen who are deployed, by
members of another state.
Q - What is the differ
ence between a platform
based Air Force and a
capabilities-based Air
Force and how is the Air
National Guard push
ing towards becoming
a capabilities based Air
Force?
A - Over the last 10-15
years we have been able to
adapt with greater technol
ogy to increasing reliance
on space, information and
cyber operations to make
our Air Force the strongest
in the World. Through the
transformation and through
Total Force Initiatives our
units will transform, over
the next several decades, to
missions that are relevant
and that we can be relied
upon to perform effective
ly. Our members must be
accessible and we must be
indispensable to our active
components and our States
as we move into a new era of
war fighting and protecting
our citizens.
Q - What is your impres
sion after visiting the
116th ACW for the first
time?
A - It was a great oppor
tunity to visit the 116th as
director of the Air National
Guard, because I’ve seen the
great results that the wing
has achieved both overseas
and at home. It reinforced
that the strength of this
wing is its people; that it’s
leadership and those who
follow are some of the most
dedicated professional air
men that I’ve seen in my
travels around the country.
Office: 478-224-7070
Fax: 478-224-7072
Email mto@ocmulgeesite.com
LOCAL
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.Journal/Nancy Hawk
Earl Cheek is recognized by Legion Commander James McCowen during the orga
nization’s meeting Feb. 5 and for Cheek’s 60 years of membership in the American
Legion.
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Journal Nancy Hawk
Field Training Officer Quridsha Gilliam of the Perry Police department and Senior
Trooper Elbert Slappy both receive a Certificate of Commendation from the Legion
Post 24 commander McCowen.
American Legion honors three
By NANCY HAWK
Journal Staff Writer
American Legion Post
24, met Feb. 5 as part
of the regularly schedule
meeting and also to cel
ebrate members of the
community.
This event highlighted
Earl H. Cheeks’ member
ship in the legion of more
than 60 years.
Along with the celebra
tion of Cheek, two officers
of the community were
hosted to a meal and a
certificate of commenda
tion from the post and the
legionnaires. The certifi
cate recognizes the offi
cers for their outstand
ing duty performance and
dedication to the commu
nity.
State Police Senior
Trooper, Elbert Slappy
and Perry Police Field
Training Officer, Quridsha
Gilliam were present
ed with certificates and
thanks from the legion
members. Mark Baron
of the Perry Fire Station
was also recognized for
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