123rd Airlift Wing, Kentucky Air National Guard, Louisville, Ky. Online Edition • Oct. 20, 2007 Wing claims top honors for excellence 12th USAF Outstanding Unit Award and 3rd Metcalf Trophy continue proud Kentucky Air Guard tradition By Capt. Dale Greer Wing Public Affairs Officer Members of the 123rd Airlift Wing gathered in the base Fuel Cell Hangar Sept. 16 to celebrate two prestigious new honors — the wing’s 12th Air Force Outstanding Unit Award and its third Curtis N. “Rusty” Metcalf Trophy. The Metcalf award, bestowed annually by the National Guard Bu- reau, recognizes the airlift or air refueling unit that demonstrates the highest standards of mission accomplishment. The wing previously won Metcalf trophies in 1994 and 2002. The wing’s last Air Force Outstanding Unit Award also was be- stowed in 2002, but the latest one is especially noteworthy because it includes a citation for valor — earned as a result of the unit’s partici- pation in dangerous combat missions in the Central Command Area of Operations. The new awards continue the wing’s tradition as one of the most decorated units in the U.S. Air Force, said Brig. Gen. Howard Hunt, Kentucky’s assistant adjutant general for Air. “Our Airmen continue set the standard for excellence no matter where they serve around the world,” said General Hunt, who presented the awards to 123rd Airlift Wing commander Col. Mark Kraus during last month’s celebration. “Our people are the best of the best. We as Kentucky Air National Guardsmen have made a mark in the Global War on Terror that very few others can match.” The outstanding unit award was bestowed for the wing’s ac- complishments from March 6, 2003 to March 15, 2004. During this period, six of the wing’s C-130s, 12 associated aircrews and dozens of support personnel deployed with just four days’ notice to a forward operating base and two follow-on locations in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. From these austere locations, the wing’s members completed more Capt. Dale Greer/KyANG than 1,500 accident-free combat and combat-support missions, de- Col. Mark Kraus, commander of the Kentucky Air Guard’s livering more than 3,100 tons of material and 7,900 passengers to 37 123rd Airlift Wing, attaches a 12th Air Force Outstanding Unit airfields and 12 countries in Southwest Asia and Northeast Africa. Award streamer to the wing’s colors during a Sept. 16 awards Another six aircrews, four C-l30 aircraft and support personnel ceremony held in the base Fuel Cell Hangar. deployed on 10 days’ notice to Ramstein Air Base, Germany, where they led operations that carried more than 19,100 passengers and 6,100 The honor recognizes the wing’s achievements from March 6, tons of cargo to 59 locations and 38 countries in Europe, Southwest 2003 to March 15, 2004, when unit personnel deployed around Asia and Africa in support of ongoing combat operations. the world for combat and combat-support operations in the Global War on Terror, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. See AWARDS on Back Page CHIEF’S CALL No one should ever doubt our discipline or our ability fly, fight and win Our enduring and distinguished integrity or our ability to fly, fight record of mission success does not and win the nation’s wars. just happen. And we must never betray the It is forged by strong leader- nation’s trust in its Airmen as ship and Airmen who are properly guardians of the common defense. organized, trained and equipped to Integrity, Service and Excellence execute their assigned mission. are the enduring touchstones of Whether deployed for expedi- the United States Air Force, and tionary operations, at home station discipline is at the core of all training for the next deployment three. or conducting daily work for the A disciplined force puts mis- nation’s combatant commanders, sion first; flies, fights and wins as a the expectations for all Airmen are team; knows the rules; pays me- the same: commanders command, ticulous attention to details; and is supervisors lead and, from the accountable for the final results. most junior Airman to the highest Our disciplined combat focus levels of command, we all follow has served the nation exceptionally checklist procedures, comply with Gen. T. Michael Moseley well throughout our 60 years as an applicable directives and focus on Air Force Chief of Staff independent service. our assigned missions or tasks. We can never allow ourselves to Loss of focus can lead to failure: lose that focus — it defines who failure to execute the mission in a expect, need and deserve nothing we are, as well as what we do. disciplined and accountable man- less. What we are entrusted with is ner. Commanders and supervisors far too important for anything less I need every Airman — wing- at all levels must lead by personal than total, selfless devotion to our man, leader and warrior — to join example, ensure compliance by all Country and the mission of the me in driving home this critical and reinforce the highest standards United States Air Force. point, every day, in everything we of the United States Air Force. do. No one should ever be given a ­—T.­Michael­Moseley, Our Air Force and our nation reason to doubt our discipline, our Air­Force­Chief­of­Staff This funded Air Force newspaper is an authorized publi- 123rd Airlift Wing Editorial Staff cation for members of the U.S. military services. Contents of The Cargo Courier are not necessarily the official view of, or Wing Commander.......................................Col. Mark Kraus endorsed by, the U.S. Government, the Department of Defense Wing Public Affairs Officer........................Capt. Dale Greer or the Department of the Air Force. Staff Writer........................Senior Airman Malcolm Byrd II The editorial content is edited, prepared and provided by the Public Affairs office of the 123rd Airlift Wing, Kentucky Contact Us Air National Guard. All photographs are Air Force photo- graphs unless otherwise indicated. Address: 1101 Grade Lane, Louisville, KY 40213-2678 Our office is located in room 2118 of the Wing Headquar- Phone: (502) 413-4431 • Fax: (502) 413-4676 ters Building. Deadline for the next issue is Nov. 9. E-mail: [email protected] An electronic version of the Cargo Courier is available at the Kentucky Air Guard’s Web site — www.kyang.ang.af.mil The Cargo Courier 2 Oct. 20, 2007 KyANG NEWS Cargo Courier Personnel flight wins award That mission was especially challenging named best paper NGB selects unit during fiscal year 2006 — the period for which the award was given — because of in ANG for the as tops in its field the Kentucky Air Guard’s sustained high operation tempo. 3rd straight year By Capt. Dale Greer During this time, the mission support Wing Public Affairs Officer The Cargo Courier has again flight expertly juggled a busy deployment schedule that saw more than 550 personnel been named the best newspaper The National Guard Bureau has selected deployed worldwide in the Global War on of its kind in the Air National the Kentucky Air Guard’s 123rd Mission Terror and other active-duty missions. Guard, winning a third-consec- Support Flight as the top personnel unit in The flight also continued to deploy sup- utive title in the 2006 National the nation, honoring it with the 2006 Gerrit port teams for hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Guard Bureau Media Contest. D. Foster Jr. Outstanding MPF Achieve- sending 263 Kentucky Airmen to the Gulf The annual competition ment Award. Coast for emergency response operations. fields a panel of journalism The award is a reflection of extraordinary Meanwhile, the mission support flight experts to evaluate newspapers unit accomplishments at a time when the continued its preparations for the 2006 Air from across the Army and Air personnel career field is undergoing drastic Mobility Command Operational Readiness National Guard. drawdowns and reconfigurations, said Capt. Inspection, which tested the wing’s ability With the latest win, The Shawn Keller, commander of the 123rd to pack up the base, deploy to a remote Cargo Courier has now taken Mission Support Flight. location, fight a simulated war and return first-place honors in six of past “The way we deliver personnel services home safely. 12 years, and second-place to our Airmen is changing at a faster pace The flight’s personnel deployment func- honors in four of the remaining than ever before,” Captain Keller said. tion — a team that processes Airmen for six years. “Our military personnel flights are con- departure — was praised by the Inspector Significant contributors to stantly being tasked to do more with less, General for successfully deploying 391 The Cargo Courier during the and the transformation to customer self- personnel during the ORI, despite a real- award period were staff writer service means we will continue to become world tornado warning, power failures and Senior Airman Malcolm Byrd; a smaller career field. system crashes. photographers Staff Sgt. Diane “To be named one of the best personnel The flight’s Deployment Control Center Stinnett, Tech. Sgt. Dennis Flo- flights in the entire Air National Guard representatives were further identified by the — especially during this time of unprec- IG as superior performers, and its forward- ra and Tech. Sgt. Phil Speck; edented change — is just a phenomenal located in-processing center garnered an and editor Capt. Dale Greer. achievement. “excellent” rating. “This award recognizes a “I couldn’t be more proud of this team Back home, the Kentucky Air Guard lot of sustained, hard work on and the sacrifices they have made to ac- exceeded all Air National Guard recruiting the part of many people,” said complish the mission.” goals for fiscal year 2006.