Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base, Texas -- I’ve been in the seat as Tenth Air Force commander for almost five months and the Reserve Citizen Airmen of this diverse unit have been extremely busy.
In July, Master Sgt. Johann, a sensor operator from the 926th Wing at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, was named one of the Outstanding Airmen of the Year. Johann personifies the “Global Vigilance” portion of our mission. As a sensor operator, he holds targets at risk and ensures our ability to track high-value targets in different areas of responsibilities.
Also in July, the 920th Rescue Wing, Patrick AFB, Florida, showed how Tenth Air Force has a piece of the “Global Reach” mission. Using its HC-130s for refueling, our Reserve Rescue Airmen flew two HH-60 helicopters approximately 500 miles off the coast to recover two German citizens after their boat capsized.
Our fighters, bombers and remotely piloted aircraft continue to showcase the “Global Power” portion of our mission. In August, the 307th Bomb Wing, Barksdale AFB, Louisiana, took part in Exercise Ample Strike showcasing how we provide airstrikes and close air support in support of ground troops.
The next month, Reserve Citizen Airmen from the 310th Space Wing, Schriever AFB, Colorado, were awarded the 2016 Outstanding Air Reserve Component Operations Group Intelligence/Operations Support Squadron Unit of the Year, which recognizes the excellent contributions of the wing's intelligence personnel.
Also, throughout August and September, the rescue wing performed rescue missions supporting hurricane relief efforts as our nation was rocked by three separate storms. These outstanding Reserve Citizen Airmen saved 200 people, 21 dogs and 5 cats in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. We had numerous units and personnel help with the various recovery efforts.
In September, The 419th Fighter Wing, Hill AFB, Utah, said farewell to their last F-16 Fighting Falcon as they transitioned fully to the F-35A Lightning. While it was bittersweet to see the Viper depart, our Reserve Citizen Airmen at Hill are excited to see more F-35s arrive.
I wanted to provide this recap of what’s happened throughout Tenth Air Force since May, because our vast mission sets touch all of the Air Force mission areas and our Reserve Citizen Airmen do an outstanding job of executing each and every one of those missions.
Thank you for what you do to keep Tenth Air Force…Always There!