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Show HILLTOP TIMES TIMES October 11, 2007 Air Mobility Command shortens delivery home of wounded BY STAFF SGT. KELLY WHITE Global Air Chiefs Conference Public Affairs W ASHINGTON, D.C. — The commander of Air Mobility Command briefed attendees from across the globe recently on the command's past, present and future contributions to the nation's defense during the Air Force Association's Air & Space Conference and Technology Exposition. "It takes bravery and courage to do our mission today," Gen. Arthur Lichte said. "We put tankers over hostile territory. We go in and save people's lives with aeromedical evacuation. We deliver cargo. We do air drop, and we're always in harm's way ... and we're doing it around the clock." Since the Sept. 11 attacks, he said, AMC has transferred 1.1 billion gallons of fuel during air refueling operations. To get an idea of how much this is, imagine watching Niagara Falls, in the summertime, for 25 minutes, he said. "AMC delivers troops to the fight and keeps convoys off the ground," Lichte said, and since operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, the rate of delivering injured troops has improved from 10 days to three, from theater to home. tf We do this (mission) as a total force," he said. To explain the total force attributes of AMC, Lichte told a story about Sgt. Dan Powers that happened this year. In the early morning hours of July 3, Powers became the victim of an enemy attack in Iraq, having a knife lodged in his brain. As a C-17 Globemaster III Expeditionary Airlift Squadron and a critical care unit prepared to take the sergeant to Andrews Air Force Base, Md., another call came in to provide total force crew," he said. But what could affect AMC's ability to do this kind of mission in the future is the age and wear of its aircraft. "We have a lot of problems with the C-130 (Hercules)," Lichte said. They need to be modernized, or AMC needs to move on to another aircraft. "We've got a lot of sustainment issues with the C-5 (Galaxy)," said Lichte, and the KC-135s are about 50 years old and need to be modernized as well. Looking forward, the addition of the KC-X is one of the Air Force's top priorities, the general said. If everything goes smoothly, the first delivery of this aircraft will be 2011, he said. STAFF SGT. SUZANNE DAY/U.S. Air Force "Assuming a delivery rate of 15 per F-16 Fighting Falcons receive fuel from a KC-135 Stratotanker in this U.S. Air Force year, the last KC-135 will retire in 2048. file photo. In some cases wounded soldiers need to be delivered through flights at That's getting out there a way," he said. a constant air pressure. This means limiting landings and take-offs and the use of "And, if delivery of the KC-X slips, in-flight fuelings. we're set back further retiring old aircraft." Moving forward with the Joint Cargo "It takes bravery and courage to do our mission today. We put Aircraft is another high priority, he tankers over hostile territory. We go in and save people's lives with said. AMC is committed to acquiring aeromedical evacuation. We deliver cargo. We do air drop, and this, because it's important for we're always in harm's way... and we're doing it around the dock." homeland defense, the government, FEMA and all of our international GEN. ARTHUR LICHTE at the Air Force Association's partners, Lichte said. Air & Space Conference and Technology Exposition "This is a way of bringing the world he said. together," crew was active-duty from Charleston transport for a second patient, an Army While there is plenty on the scope, AFB, S.C. The doctor was a reservist specialist with a gunshot wound to the the general said he's happy with where from Langley AFB, Va. The nurse was neck, the general explained. AMC is today because of the people in a reservist from MacDill AFB, Fla., and Due to the nature of the patients' the command. the rest of that team was Air National wounds, the aircraft needed to maintain Guard, the general added. "We have fantastic people in AMC," consistent air pressure, he said. The CLichte said. "They have raised the bar "There's no better definition of total 17 used extended-range fuel tanks and higher and higher and higher, and the force than this," he said. "And I don't was air-refueled once before delivering future of AMC is bright. think there's another nation in the both patients to Andrews AFB in the early morning of July 4. world that can do this, or that would do "But we have to help them ... we this for one soldier. We were able to do have to get new equipment," he said. Both patients survived, said Lichte, this because the C-17 was reliable and "We have to modernize things for them, and this "miracle" was pulled off so they can be ready to accomplish this on time. The KC-135 (Stratotanker) was because of AMC's total force. It was an a tremendous, mission 10, 20, 30 years down the road." reliable, and they had aircraft from McChord AFB, Wash. The CONFIDENCE. Visit our Home Gallery or RichmondAmerican.com today! HOME GALLERY by Richmond American I 75 East 12300 South, Draper, VT 84020 1 866-400-4131 Homes from the upper $100s to the mid $600s Tour our models and get even more valuable information at our Sales Centers, open Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m. to 7p.m.; Sunday, 12 to 5p.m. HARRISV1LLE THOROUGHBRED MEADOWS FRUIT HEIGHTS HIDDEN SPRINGS Now open! From the mid$200s 866-400-4131 866-400-4131 SOUTH OGDEN THE SEASONS AT THE RIDGE FARMINGTON FARMINGTON GREENS From the upper $200s From the upper $400s 801-447-4443 FARMINGTON POINTE New model coming soon! 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