AFCent commander: Short tours best

[unhappycamper]

Lt. Gen. Mike Hostage speaks to airmen Aug. 25 at Joint Balad Base, Iraq. Hostage took over Air Forces Central Command, the air component of Central Command, in August.


AFCent commander: Short tours best
By Bruce Rolfsen - Staff writer
Posted : Sunday Dec 27, 2009 8:41:07 EST

The commander overseeing the Air Force’s role in Iraq and Afghanistan favors short tours in the war zones, despite a call by the Pentagon for yearlong deployments for instructors, and envisions airmen someday being stationed in the Persian Gulf with their families if host nations agree.

Lt. Gen. Mike Hostage touched on the length of deployments and the Air Force’s long-term role in the Middle East during an exclusive telephone interview with Air Force Times from his office in the Persian Gulf.

Hostage took over Air Forces Central Command, the air component of U.S. Central Command, in August. At the same time, the Air Force temporarily separated AFCent and the Ninth Air Force, both with headquarters at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., to allow the AFCent commander to focus on war fighting.

On Afghanistan, Hostage is waiting for word from Central Command on how many airmen will be part of the 30,000-troop buildup ordered by President Barack Obama and what roles they will play.

The Air Force could assign airmen to missions in Afghanistan but base them outside the country, he said. For example, C-17 Globemasters and KC-135 Stratotankers assigned to Manas Air Base in Kyrgyzstan already fly Afghan assignments. Long-range B-1B Lancer bombers, KC-10 Extender tankers and C-17s reach Afghanistan from Persian Gulf airfields.


Rest of article at: http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2009/12/airforce_afcent_commander_122709w/



unhappycamper comment: And there are at least 11 flights daily from Charlestown to Afghanistan.