Air Guard meets with Air Force representative in Afghanistan

By Capt. Marie Orlando
Ngmo.pao@us.army.mil

JALALABAD, Afghanistan. - Members of the Missouri Air National Guard recently met with the Headquarters International Security Assistance Force commander's personal representative for the Air Force.

Maj. Gen. Charles W. Lyon is the Director of the Air Component Coordination Element for Air Forces Central Command in Kabul, Afghanistan, and he serves as personal representative to Gen. David H. Petraeus, the top US commander in Afghanistan.

Lyon stopped to greet the Airmen gathered under a shaded patio on Forward Operating Base Finley-Shields and to introduce members of his command.

He spoke informally to the group which included Active Duty, Reserve and Air National Guard service members, working for the Agri-business Development Team, as well as those assigned to the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Nangarhar Province. He applauded their efforts to adjust to an unconventional role for the Air Force.

He said the Air Force has quadrupled its presence in Afghanistan since 2006 with more than 8,500 Airmen serving in the country.

He said that while a civilian surge will eventually take over the roles currently handled by units like the reconstruction team, it wasn't going to happen in the next four, six or even eight months. He said he could foresee a security mission to enable the transition, and a need to assist in building the Afghan air force and government, as well as a part in rebuilding the commercial aviation industry, which is critical in a land locked country.

"That will take Airmen," he said. "I don't see us reducing our footprint as Airmen, just changing our focus."

Lyon also took the time to address Airmen's concerns for the future, including deployment lengths, uniform changes, and the coordination and communication required to operate alongside the Army and other services in the existing joint environment.

He told the Airmen, "Thank you for all the work that you do. Some of you are doing things we never envisioned for Airmen to do. It's monumental what you are doing. Some of you have been mobilized since 2001 and I appreciate that you are separated from your family, and in the case of the Guard and Reserves, from your jobs and communities.

"Remember where you were on Sep. 11. You are here because of attacks that emanated from very near here, in the Tora Bora Mountains, and to make sure it never happens again. It was something I never imagined; maybe it brought some of you into service for your country. Whatever motivates you to wear the uniform, I am very grateful and I want to say thank you."

The Missouri ADT IV is currently serving at Finley-Shields and has six Airmen assigned where several serve in key leadership roles. Senior Master Sgt. Jerry Blankenship is the senior enlisted advisor; Senior Master Sgt. Steven Counts is the headquarters non-commissioned officer in charge, and Master Sgt. Bob Weber is a security force noncommissioned officer in charge..

The next Missouri National Guard ADT rotation to Afghanistan will continue to include Air National Guard members in key roles.