Photo By 1st Lt. Rachael Parks | Maj. Gen. Eric Hill, Air Force Special Operations Command Deputy commander, speaks...... read more read more
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U.S. Air Force Major General Eric Hill, Air Force Special Operations deputy commander, recently visited Airmen from the 353d Special Operations Wing and Japanese partners at MCAS Iwakuni, Japan, November 6th, 2021, to learn more about the US-2 seaplane.
During his visit, Hill had the opportunity to meet with Airmen and speak with leadership to discuss the current state of the Wing, and plans to prepare for both future crisis and competitive security requirements in the Indo-Pacific region.
This visit to the 353d SOW was Hill’s first visit since their re-designation earlier this year.
The re-designation of AFSOC’s 353d Special Operations Group to 353 SOW, on July 14, 2021, was an administrative effort to accurately reflect the wing’s level of responsibility and improve AFSOC’s ability to optimize and manage forces between two geographically separated units.
Hill also took the opportunity to meet with partners from the 31st Fleet Air Wing of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force to learn more about US-2 amphibious aircraft. The visit took special importance as AFSOC continues its efforts towards the MC-130 Amphibious capability.
“Flying an airplane that can land on water isn’t a new concept, but few aviators have the experience of amphibious aviation,” Hill said. “Gaining lessons from our partners will help us learn what to anticipate as we begin to build our own tactics and techniques moving forward.”
The JMSDF operates the US-2 in surveillance and emergency transportation operations, and also provides the ability to reach remote locations, a key capability in the Pacific region.
While the MC-130 Amphibious program is underway, largely in-house within the Air Force, a number of partners operate the C-130 family of aircraft, accelerating the lessons and development of the MAC will open up a new capability for our trusted allies and partners.
“The Indo-Pacific region has high strategic importance,” Hill said. “We’re an incredibly capable Air Force, and while we still need to be able to land and take-off from land-based airfields, the ability to turn the Pacific Ocean into a runway would increase our options to help secure our nation’s and allies security interests.”
As AFSOC responds to the call to accelerate change, the command is working diligently to lay new foundations to continued tactical and operational excellence.
“Our future efforts are best described as using our existing means in new and extraordinary ways,” said Hill. “We intend to use our investments to make AFSOC an unpredictable presence that confuses our adversaries and complicates their next move.”
| Date Taken: | 11.15.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 11.15.2021 15:35 |
| Story ID: | 409348 |
| Location: | HURLBURT FIELD, FL, US |
| Web Views: | 1,149 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
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