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Gen. Mike Minihan, Commander of Air Mobility Command, visits the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station June 8, 2024.

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A Wing commander's homecoming

  • Published
  • By Col. Al Swartzmiller
  • 914th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station, N.Y. --  
Happily though as I look closer at the calendar, it's only been a few months and I haven't missed our spring season or the promise of another beautiful summer here in Niagara Falls. My new experiences on the Combined Forces Air Component Commander's staff will last a lifetime. I was able to witness mobility airman, even some of our own, support commanders in both Iraq and Afghanistan with critical logistical support.

The mobility mission is accounting for about 60 percent  of AFCENT's daily Air Tasking Order and despite all the acclaim and attention of 18th Air Force's Theater Direct C-17's, it's our C-130s who are still the workhorse of the theater. Approximately 40 C-130's from all three Air Force Components are moving key leaders and personnel in and around the theater and delivering the sustainment supplies needed to enable the ground commander's intent. Whether it's at dirt landing strips in remote forward operating bases or into drop zones no larger than a Starbucks parking lot, the C-130 mission just doesn't have an equal and I was proud to see our airman a part of it.

Deploying as a single unit tasking code was something I had never done before. I have signed hundred's of deployment requests for our airman to do just that, and now I have a better appreciation of what it takes to go solo with only my training and experiences into an unknown environment and be successful. Certainly a more courageous move as a young airman than an old Colonel, but I get it.

My special thanks go to Col Mark Murphy. Without his leadership and dedication during this time I would not have been able to focus on my deployed mission like I needed to. Taking the prolonged absence from his civilian employment was truly service before self. Col Murphy and I communicated weekly on the events taking place at Niagara Falls ARS and I'm appreciative to all of our airmen who kept our training mission going safely and successfully, to include our inspections, association progress and ORE/ORI preparations that seemed to continue without missing a beat. Your professionalism is humbling.

Looking forward, I approach our next year together with renewed energy and enthusiasm. We have a good possibility for more military construction projects to enhance our mission, our airmen and resources continue to make significant contributions to our nation's overseas requirements, we have added another ORI partner, and we continue to garner excellent support from our community and congressional delegation. It's going to be a great year!

Col S