INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey -- Brig. Gen. Kyle Robinson, 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing commander, visited the Airmen of the 447th Air Expeditionary Group Nov. 7, 2017.
The visit provided an up-close look at the Airmen of the 447th AEG and the mission in action and how it generates, executes, and sustains combat air and space power.
“It’s important to see firsthand how our Airmen are doing, to see the mission in action, and remind them that they are a part of something bigger than they see,” said Brig. Gen. Kyle Robinson, 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing commander. “Coming to Turkey enables me to personally see the challenges that they face and address those concerns, or bring them back to the AFCENT to fix and improve them.”
During his time with the 447th AEG, Robinson was briefed by Airmen of the 447th AEG on maintaining and repairing A-10 Thunderbolt II components as they bring the fight to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant throughout the region.
“The aircraft here are very close to the fight,” Robinson said. “All the KC-135 Stratotankers that take off here give fuel to all the other important players in OIR, like the F-15 Strike Eagles and A-10’s. We’re very well postured to do what we need to do to provide that support.”
Not only did he see the impact of current operations, he also got a glimpse at inspecting a piece of A-10 equipment with deployed Airmen from the 447th AEG.
“It’s imperative for the men and women of the 447th AEG to see their wing commander, to see the leadership within the wing and remind them that they are a part of the historic legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen. The work they do here is integral to Operation Inherent Resolve,” said Col. Scott Hoffman, 447th Air Expeditionary Group Commander.
Robinson spoke with the Airmen about their contributions to the mission and how important they are to the fight against ISIS.
“I think the big question Airmen have sometimes is, ‘does what I do here really matter? Does anyone really notice?’ The answer is unequivocally, yes,” Robinson said. “ISIS is crumbling, and to the Airmen here, I’d say they were a huge part of making that happen. It doesn’t matter what you do—if you’re building the weapons or loading them, flying planes or fixing them, ensuring people have a place to stay and are fed, working communications…without all that support, we couldn’t have done what we’ve done. The assets here at Incirlik are what make it happen.”