Photo By Senior Airman Felicia Juenke | On the steps of the old Russian air traffic control tower, known as the 'Crow's Nest'...... read more read more
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BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan -- Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley visited with Airmen of the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing, Aug. 29, during his second visit to Afghanistan in 10 months.
Donley spoke to approximately 300 Airmen at an Airmen's Call held on the steps of an old, Russian air traffic control tower, known as the 'Crow's Nest' in Camp Cunningham. He used the opportunity to thank the Airmen here and relay a message from Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz.
"I can hardly express the pride Gen. Schwartz and I feel in the work that you do here and the contributions that Airmen make in the joint fight," Donley said.
Donley went on to list the many missions Airmen are carrying out on a daily basis in support of the joint fight.
"From providing airlift from the continental United States into the area of responsibility and back; providing armed overwatch for Coalition forces; Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance missions; Special Operations Forces; Combat Search and Rescue; providing electronic warfare capability; all of this and more, demonstrate Airmen are 'all in,'" said Donley. "And we're doing it with the Total Force of Active Duty, Guard and Reserve Airmen, civilians and contractors."
Just days before his visit, Air Force airlift crews flew 149 airlift sorties, delivered 595 short tons of cargo and transported approximately 4,000 passengers. This included about 110,000 pounds of aerial resupply cargo dropped over Afghanistan.
Donley continued to praise the Airmen for their dedication to the preservation of human life, highlighting the efforts of the Air Force and joint aeromedical evacuation teams.
"We're providing aeromedical evacuation of wounded [including coalition forces and civilians] from the battlefield back to theater hospitals so effectively that it has reduced casualties in this conflict to the lowest rate that it has been in any previous conflict," he said.
An example of this dedication occurred on Aug. 25, when Air Force HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopters and "Guardian Angel" teams transported 25 patients to coalition field hospitals from locations in Afghanistan. Pararescue team members located, rescued and began to stabilize the wounded in the battlefield. The Pave Hawks then transported these patients to field hospitals in less time than it takes for a civilian patient to reach emergency care by ambulance in the United States.
"The scope of mission you are undertaking in the joint fight is truly breathtaking. Without our Air Force, the joint fight would simply grind to a halt," said Donley.
| Date Taken: | 08.29.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 09.01.2009 01:19 |
| Story ID: | 38206 |
| Location: | BAGRAM AIR FIELD, AF |
| Web Views: | 145 |
| Downloads: | 123 |
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