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Show August 17, 2000 AF welcomes mew commaodler ' By Tech. Sgt. Rian Clawson 1 2th Air Force Public Affairs in Lt. Gen. William AFB, Ariz. Tom Hobbins accepted command of the 12th Air Force from Lt. Gen. Robert Doc Foglesong in a ceremony held Aug. 7. Gen. John Jumper, commander of Air Combat Command, officiated at the change of command cereDAVIS-MONTHA- y C: y N mony. Doc Foglesong is a unique individual; hes a fighter pilot with a Ph.D., Gen. Jumper said, adding that the new commander, although he didnt hold a doctorate degree, brings his own unique qualities and abilities to the 2th Air Force. 1 A The general recalled highlights from General Hobbins career and praised his planning of the air campaign over Kosovo, when he was director of operations for U.S. Air Forces in Europe, Ramstein Air Base, Germany. Over the course of nearly a year, Tom Hobbins and his planners went through more than 40 iterations of the air campaign plan before we finally settled upon one consistent with the fragile consensus.within the NATO alliance, General Jumper said. That plan led to'Mr. Milosevic doing exactly what NATO asked him to do. Many people were responsible for the success of that effort, but few more so than Tom Flobbins. Docs going to be nearly impossible to replace at 1 2th Air Force, General Jumper concluded, but if anyone can do it, Tom Hobbins can. General Hobbins is a command pilot with more than 4,000 flying hours, mostly in fighter and trainer aircraft, and he said he was really looking forward to his time at 12th Air Force. I must thank General Michael Ryan, the Air Force Chief of Staff, as well as General Charles Wilhelm, commander in chief of U.S. Southern Command, Admiral Richard Mies, commander in chief of U.S. Strategic Command, and General Jumper, for selecting me for this position, General Hobbins said. This is my dream assignment and working for these great warriors is an honor I will always cherish, he added. Air Combat Command commander Gen. John Jumper, left, and 12th Air Force Command Chief Master Sgt. Gary Coleman, center, begin the ceremonial transfer of command to Lt. Gen. William Tom Hobbins, right, from Lt. Gen. Robert Doc Foglesong. Gen. Foglesong leaves 12th Air Force for the Pentagon to become the deputy chief of staff, Air and Space Operations. Dyess AFB hosts AEF ? c k: - i a -- v r r 7 r - a ? est standards of performance, the general said. The 12th Air Force team is an integral part of what makes the U.S. Air Force the number one aerospace power in the world. Youve obtained this prestigious position through hard work, dedication to duty and a total commitment to this nation. General Hobbins expressed his appreciation to all the friends, family and officials who attended the change of command, but reserved a special thanks for his wife, Robbin. She is my best friend, who has given so much of herself - and her life - to be by my side through these leadership journeys, he said. She has done this so well in so many areas, and through it all she raised five wonderful kids. She is the real hero in the Hobbins family. Thank you Robbin; I would not be here without you and I really mean that. The general also offered kudos to the men and women of 12th Air Force. You have created an environment that inspires the high ' j . . The general challenged the team to keep up the airspeed, but to keep their families highest on their radar scopes. Remember, nobody else can do what you do in this . world, he concluded. I thank God for the opportunity to lead this prestigious team in making a difference for others and I look forward to working with you and for you during the year ahead of us. conference pre-planni- ng . By Capt. Wilson Camelo Air Combat Command Public Affairs LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va- .- Even as Aerospace Expeditionary Forces 9 and 10 prepare for their deployfor AEFs 1 and 2 ment vulnerability window, ' is already being scheduled, 1 take place at a conwill 2 and for AEFs The ference Aug. 30-- 3 1 at Dyess AFB, Texas; said the commander of the Air Forces And AEF Center, is the key to ensuring the Expeditionary Aerospace Force concept keeps with its goal of providing predictability and stability to Air Force people. The commander. Brig. Gen. Denny Larsen, said AEFs 1 and 2 will mark the first AEF pairs where people were notified 120 days in advance that they will be deployed during the period that runs December through March 200 1 . The 120-dadeployment notice mark was our goal. Were very pleased to'have reached it this soon. That means people now know 1 5 months ahead of time that they re 1 assigned to a particular AEF, and 20 days ahead of time that theyve actually been identified to deploy, added General pre-planni- pre-planni- v ng ng pre-planni- S0i H: in ' - ,y' " Sr ys ? k " h S'Ji Larsen. 75 People in AEFs 9 and 10 were given approximately days notice, the general said. the Dyess AFB was chosen to host the conference because 1 s lead 7th Bomb Wing is the lead wing for AEF 2. AEF wing is the 388th Fighter Wing. AEF Approximately 300 people from both bases, the Guard Center, several major commands, and the Air National and Air Force Reserve are expected to attend the conference, said Maj. Rob Rocco, the conferences project officer. conference will feature briefings on current The two-da- y and steady state operations, such as Operations Northern mission, and missions in Southern Watch, the counter-dru- g the Balkans. The briefings are to provide guidance and instruction for preparing people to deploy to these areas of responsibility. Major Rocco said. In addition, representatives from Air Mobility Command will discuss airlift issues and their role in the Expeditionary Aerospace Force concept. Then, the real work begins. The attendees will break up & rntriT fcffifnfri irV''' Photo by Airman 1st Class Cindy Huston on an Airman 1st Class Sean Ramm, 34th Fighter Squadron crew chief, performs a basic post flight inspection will be 10. gone Air Expeditionary Force They People from the 34th FS are deploying this week as part of mission. interdiction in a drug approximately 90 days to Curacao to participate and other enablers, into working groups based on functional areas like opera- - to AEFs, Aerospace Expeditionary Wings, General Larsen said. tions, maintenance, logistics, support and senior leader There are also about 120,000 airmen who are not AEF ship. Major Rocco said. e because theyre on remote assignments, Theyll discuss lessons learned from past rotations and deployment-eligiblare in certain career fields such as missiles, or arent med- he continued. incorporate them into their deployment plans, conference is one of many efforts the ically cleared The That leaves another approximately 120,000 airmen who AEF Center is working in to make AEF deployments more arent in any deployment status. Getting them assigned to efficient and effective. EAF is a work in progress. ConAEFs to spread the wealth will help reduce some airmens tinuous improvement is our goal, the general said. he personnel tempo, General Larsen said. The general said As part of the effort to continually improve AEF rotations, within the next year, the general said the AEF Center, working with all the major hopes to accomplish this goal commands, is moving toward identifying every deployment-eligibl- e airman and assigning them to a particular AEF. F-1- 6. pre-planni- ng Currently, there are approximately 1 20,000 airmen assigned |