MILESTONES Retirements 123rd Airlift Wing, Kentucky Air National Guard, Louisville, Ky. Vol. XVII, No. 3 • April 7, 2001 Air Guard delivers on Bosnia mission KyANG supports Operation Joint Forge while being inspected By Staff Sgt. Amy Ziegler Cargo Courier Editor Chief Master Sgt. Bobbie Brawner of the 123rd Maintenance Squadron also received an MSM during the retirement cer- RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany— emony March 3. Brawner spent more than 26 years in the Members of the Kentucky Air Guard joined KyANG. forces with another Air Guard unit and ac- Col. Bill Leslie awards Chief Master Sgt. Michael tive duty troops here in December to fly Geoghegan of the 123rd Medical Squadron the Meritori- supplies to multinational peacekeepers in ous Service Medal during a March 3 retirement ceremony KyANG Photos by Bosnia as part of Operation Joint Forge. held on the flightline. Geoghegan served more than 24 Aircrews, maintainers and support per- years in the KyANG. Tech. Sgt. Mark Rines sonnel from Ohio’s 179th Airlift Wing and Kentucky’s 123rd Airlift Wing supported the operation through March 4, when they were 123rd Airlift Wing replaced by personnel from other Air Public Affairs Office Guard and active-duty units. Kentucky Air National Guard During the deployment, KyANG crews 1101 Grade Lane flew more than 150 sorties, delivering ap- Louisville, KY 40213-2678 proximately 2,500 passengers and 410 tons of cargo throughout Europe. OFFICIAL BUSINESS Both Air Guard units also participated in a three-day Expeditionary Operational Readiness Inspection to evaluate their mis- sion readiness. The Ohio and Kentucky airmen began ar- riving at Ramstein in early December to work alongside their active-duty counter- parts from Pope Air Force Base, N.C. The Pope contingent packed up Feb. 17, however, leaving operations to the Ohio- Kentucky team. Such intermingling of active-duty and Air Guard members is now the norm around the world, said Lt. Col. Mark L. Stephens, a pi- lot in the Ohio Air Guard and the commander Photos by 1st Lt. Dale Greer of Delta Squadron, also known as the 38th TOP: Delta Squadron members load cargo on a C-130 Hercules Ramstein Air Base in Airlift Squadron (Provisional). support of Operation Joint Forge. “The concept of the Air Guard as ‘week- BOTTOM: A Kentucky Air National Guard C-130 taxies into Ramstein following an end warriors’ is no longer accurate in today’s airlift sortie. EORI results Air Force,” Stephens said. Stephens said two factors are driving the “The Total Force is definitely a reality, • SEE STORY, PAGE 4. particularly since Desert Storm.” See BOSNIA, page 4 The Cargo Courier, 8 April 7, 2001 COMMANDER’S CALL AIR FORCE NEWS Wing focuses on being powerful, harmonious National Guard remembers fallen airmen eedless to say it is great disagree it is alright as long as the disagree- By Army Sgt. 1st Class Eric Wedeking the entire country. service with a rendition of “Amazing to be back! There is no ment is based on fact, or an honest opinion. National Guard Bureau Public Affairs “Today, we come together in this magnifi- Grace,” the crowd flowed outside to watch other job I would rather Honesty brings trust and without trust true cent church to remember and to honor good four Virginia Air National Guard F-16 N have than to serve as the communication does not happen. VIRGINIA BEACH, Va.—Tears and men who lost their lives doing something Fighting Falcons from Richmond's 192nd Commander of this unit. “Harmonious” also means that everyone tributes punctuated three memorial services they believed in to their core—serving their Fighter Wing roar over the church. A single To have the opportu- in the 123rd feels comfortable and a real in Virginia and Florida, held March 10 and country, their state and their communities," fighter peeled off in the “missing man” for- nity to lead this great organization once is a part of the wing. This means embracing all 11, that honored 21 members of the National Gilmore said. mation. great honor, and to get to do it a second time members regardless of gender, race or reli- Guard who perished in a March 3 military “The pain of this tragic loss has touched Friends of the deceased airmen ex- is more than I can stand. gion. If one person feels left out because of airplane crash in rural Georgia. far more than communities in Virginia, pressed the hope that the memorial services My most important task as Commander their gender or color of skin, we have failed Governors from both states in which the Florida, North Carolina and Georgia.It has will start of the healing process for the thou- is to define, and communicate what we want to achieve our vision. units are located, personally offered their touched the nation.” sands of people who are still feeling the the 123rd Airlift Wing to be. Management This unit is a reflection of our commu- condolences. Letters, including one from Families also heard messages of condo- pain. gurus call this setting the vision for the or- nity and we should mirror community de- President George W. Bush, a former Texas lence from the nation’s leaders, including two Other dignitaries included Virginia U.S. ganization. Those of you who have been mographics if we are to recruit and retain Air National Guard fighter pilot, were read letters read by Virginia National Guard Ad- Sen. John Warner, Deputy Secretary of De- around for a few years have heard it before; into the 21st century. to those who mourned. jutant General Brig. Gen. Claude A. Will- fense Paul Wolfowitz and Gen. Michael but I think it is important to define and com- It is a given that the 123rd is a military An estimated 4,000 family members, iams, who hosted the service. Ryan, U.S. Air Force chief of staff. Lt. Gen. municate it again. organization; but I included it in our vision friends, military people and other dignitar- “We mourn together with their loss,” Wil- Russell Davis, chief of the National Guard The vision for the 123rd is simply this: statement because it is central to what we ies poured into the cavernous Rock Church liams read from Bush's letter. “They personi- Bureau, and Maj. Gen. Paul Weaver Jr., di- “A powerful, harmonious military orga- do. Not long ago the military aspect of the in Virginia Beach, Va., on March 10 to pay fied the term ‘citizen-soldier.’” rector of the Air National Guard, also at- nization, comprised of proud citizens, dedi- Col. Michael Harden ANG was downplayed because our society their respects. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld tended. 123rd Airlift Wing Commander cated to the profession of arms, prepared to was going in a different direction. We talked Nearly 1,000 attended services March 11 stated in a letter to the families that the citi- Every branch of the U.S. armed forces successfully wage war, and provide world about acting like a business, had gatherings in airplane hangars in Lakeland and Jack- zen-airmen and soldiers would be remem- was represented. class service to community, state and na- we decide to dedicate ourselves to be the best instead of formations, and generally sonville, Fla. bered. “These were true patriots serving our Army Chief of Staff Gen. Eric Shinseki tion.” that we can be. We must constantly strive to downplayed the idea that we were a mili- The 18 Air National Guard civil engineers country,” he said. “Their contributions will said all service leaders were genuinely con- This is a short and simple statement of take care of business and have our “stuff to- tary organization. People join the 123rd be- from Virginia’s 203rd RED HORSE Engi- not be forgotten.” cerned for the families and troops. what each member of the Thoroughbred gether” if we are to have the immediate cred- cause they like the military, and they want neering Flight and the three Army Guard During the 90-minute Virginia memorial, Three pairs of Army boots and camou- Express should want to make this wing be- ibility necessary to become “powerful.” to do military things. aviators from Florida’s 1st Battalion, 171st families viewed poster-sized photographs of flage helmets were prominently displayed come. Because I want everyone in the wing “Harmonious” simply put, means that ev- We must always strive to honor our mili- Aviation C-23 Sherpa detachment were re- their loved ones. Red baseball caps bearing next to memorials for the 18 Air Guard to fully understand this vision; this column eryone is in tune with each other. For the tary traditions and responsibilities. People membered at all three services. the 203rd RED HORSE Engineering Flight members at Virginia Beach. over the next several months will break it 123rd, it should be in everything that we do, may join the unit for the educational ben- The Army Guard flight crew was trans- logo and personal items were also on dis- In Jacksonville, Gov. Jeb Bush compared down into its various parts and explain what and be aimed at achieving our vision and ac- efits, the money or the travel; but they will porting the one officer and 17 enlisted mem- play. their deaths to those who died during the I mean. complishing our objectives. only stay if we focus on and live the tradi- bers back to Virginia following two weeks The families were presented shadow Civil War battle at Gettysburg, Pa. The first phrase I would like to explain is This does not mean that everyone acts the tional the military values of duty, honor, and of annual training at Hurlburt Field, Fla.