Air Force readiness affirmed
By William Cole
Advertiser Military Writer
HICKAM AIR FORCE BASE — Air Force Secretary James Roche, stopping in Hawai'i on a trip to examine the basing of aircraft in the Pacific, said the service is prepared should the president call for war with Iraq.
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"The Air Force is ready," Roche said yesterday at the tail end of a three-day visit to O'ahu to meet with senior leaders and Air Force personnel.
Air Force Secretary James Roche spoke to more than 3,000 people during a "troop call" at Hickam.
Roche's tour of installations in Hawai'i, Japan and Korea represents his first trip to the Pacific since becoming Air Force secretary in June 2001.
Roche said unlike some other services, 76 percent of Air Force pilots and crews are combat-experienced after flying more than 200,000 sorties over the past 10 years enforcing no-fly zones in Iraq. "We have pilots who know the southern part of Iraq, the northern part of Iraq, by heart," he said.
If there is a war, Roche said, Hickam and the Hawai'i Air National Guard would continue to provide a critical "air bridge" across the Pacific for the refueling of aircraft like B-2 bombers.
"The folks who fly F-15 (fighters) here will still be doing a lot of work in terms of Operation Noble Eagle (for homeland defense), and those who are involved in the mobility command will be part of the air bridge, which they've already been part of, and they've served beautifully," Roche said.
Asked how many units might be called up, Roche said "that's not clear — we're trying to think through how we do this. It depends on the war plans that are chosen by the president (and) the secretary of defense."
Roche, who travels in a military version of a Boeing 707, spoke to more than 3,000 Air Force and family members during a "troop call" at Hickam on Tuesday and presented a Bronze Star to Lt. Col. Donald Derry for his service in Kyrgyzstan as a security forces commander. The Air Force secretary said the trip is intended to allow him to meet the troops and take a look at potential basing changes in the Pacific.
"This administration takes the Pacific theater very seriously, and we believe over time it's going to grow in importance," Roche said. Guam is among the locations being considered for a larger U.S. military presence closer to Asia, and the Air Force would like to base fighters and bombers there.
Roche said that a plan to bring C-17 cargo carriers to Hickam, meanwhile, remains on track.
"We have some budgetary issues ... but we are absolutely committed to having them come here," he said.
The Air Force plans to base eight of the aircraft in Hawai'i, and an identical number in Alaska. Pacific Air Forces commander Gen. William Begert said P-144 — the 144th C-17 off the production line, should be at Hickam by late fiscal 2005. An environmental assessment of the plan is expected to be completed in the fall of 2003.
The Hawai'i Air National Guard's 204th Airlift Squadron would be converted to a C-17 "associate unit," meaning Guard and active-duty crews would operate and support the aircraft. The Air Force estimates $425 million will be spent at Hickam and Alaska as part of the basing plan.
Roche yesterday acknowledged the replacement of two generals involved with the development of the F/A-22 Raptor fighter, the planned replacement for the F-15.
"It's not coming out the doors of Lockheed (Martin Corp.) as fast as we would like, and therefore, we've put pressure on the company to bolster the management of it," Roche said.
