17th Air Force takes on Africa airlift mission

[unhappycamper]

Master Sgt. James Pentergast, left, 37th Airlift Squadron C-130 flight engineer, shows the cockpit of one of the U.S. C-130s to members of the Botswana Defense Force.


17th Air Force takes on Africa airlift mission
By Jennifer H. Svan, Stars and Stripes
European edition, Wednesday, December 10, 2008

RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany — A new unit is taking U.S. military air operations in Africa under its wing.

The 17th Air Force officially stood up in October at its Ramstein Air Base headquarters. With close to 150 airmen already on board, the unit will direct airlift on the continent while striving to help African nations improve air safety and security, according to 17th Air Force officials.

The focus of the air component of U.S. Africa Command, known also as U.S. Air Forces Africa, is on supporting existing U.S. government initiatives to help African nations in conflict prevention, according to the 17th Air Force commander, Maj. Gen. Ron Ladnier.

"I get frustrated when I hear people say … that’s militarizing foreign policy," Ladnier said.

"We’re already there. We’re already doing these things," he said, pointing to a paper illustrating hundreds of U.S. military flight arrivals on the continent since January 2003. "All we’re doing is putting it under one house so we can focus our efforts."


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?article=59318