ROYAL AIR FORCE HONINGTON, England – Gen. Mark A. Welsh III, U.S. Air Forces in Europe commander, and Tech. Sgt. Jeremy Diola, 56th Rescue Squadron pararescueman, respond to a personnel recovery exercise, Jan. 18, 2012. The exercise exhibited the capabilities of the 56th RQS to Gen. Mark A. Welsh III, U.S. Air Forces in Europe commander. Welsh, his wife Betty, Chief Master Sgt. David W. Williamson, USAFE command chief, and his wife Mary visited RAF Lakenheath to express their gratitude for the hard work and dedication of the Liberty warriors and to discuss upcoming changes in today’s Air Force. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Tiffany M. Deuel)
ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England - Gen. Mark A. Welsh III (right), U. S. Air Forces in Europe commander, greets Capt. Ashley Thomas, 48th Aerospace Medical Squadron aerospace physiologist, during a visit Jan. 18, 2012. Welsh and Chief Master Sgt. David W. Williamson, USAFE command chief, visited RAF Lakenheath to express their gratitude for the hard work and dedication of the Liberty warriors and to explain upcoming changes in today's Air Force. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Cory D. Payne)
ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England - Gen. Mark A. Welsh III (center), U. S. Air Forces in Europe commander, greets Leighann Fisher and her son Cameron during a deployed spouses dinner, Jan. 17, 2012. Welsh and Chief Master Sgt. David W. Williamson, USAFE command chief, visited RAF Lakenheath to express their gratitude for the hard work and dedication of the Liberty warriors and to explain upcoming changes in today's Air Force. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Cory D. Payne)
ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England - Gen. Mark A. Welsh III, U. S. Air Forces in Europe commander, and Chief Master Sgt. David W. Williamson, USAFE command chief, speak to RAF Lakenheath's enlisted Airmen during a visit, Jan. 18, 2012. Welsh and Williamson visited RAF Lakenheath to express their gratitude for the hard work and dedication of the Liberty warriors and to explain upcoming changes in today's Air Force. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Cory D. Payne)
ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England - Gen. Mark A. Welsh III, U. S. Air Forces in Europe commander, and Chief Master Sgt. David W. Williamson, USAFE command chief, speak to RAF Lakenheath's officers during a visit, Jan. 18, 2012. Welsh and Williamson visited RAF Lakenheath to express their gratitude for the hard work and dedication of the Liberty warriors and to explain upcoming changes in today's Air Force. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Cory D. Payne)
ROYAL AIR FORCE HONINGTON, England - Airmen stand by as a 56th Rescue Squadron HH-60G Pave Hawk prepares to land during a personnel recovery exercise, Jan. 18, 2012. The exercise exhibited the 56th RQS's capabilities to Gen. Mark A. Welsh III, U.S. Air Forces in Europe commander. Welsh, his wife Betty, Chief Master Sgt. David Williamson, USAFE command chief, and his wife Marie visited RAF Lakenheath to express their gratitude for the hard work and dedication of the Liberty warriors and to discuss upcoming changes in today's Air Force. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Tiffany M. Deuel)
ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England -- Jaheim Mesween (right), RAFL High School student, explains to Thomas Witney, RAFL High School principal, and shows Betty Welsh, wife of Gen. Mark A. Welsh III, United States Air Forces in Europe commander, the assignment for his Engineering, Design and Technology class, Jan. 18, 2012. Welsh, her husband, and Command Chief Master Sgt. David Williamson and his wife Mary, visited RAF Lakenheath to express their gratitude for the hard work and dedication of the Liberty warriors and their families, and to discuss upcoming changes in today's Air Force. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Lausanne Morgan)
ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England -- Maj. Theresa Clark, 48th Inpatient Squadron flight commander, shows Betty Welsh, wife of Gen. Mark A. Welsh III, United States Air Forces in Europe commander, and Mary Williamson, wife of Chief Master Sgt. David Williamson, USAFE command chief, patient facilities and accommodations in the obstetrics ward, Jan. 18, 2012. The group visited RAF Lakenheath to express their gratitude for the hard work and dedication of the Liberty warriors and their families, and to discuss upcoming changes in today's Air Force. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Lausanne Morgan)
by 2nd Lt. Lyndsey Horn
48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
1/23/2012 - ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England -- General Mark A. Welsh III, U.S. Air Forces in Europe commander, visited Airmen of the 48th Fighter Wing here, Jan. 18.
The main purpose of his visit was to inform wing members of command priorities, define the state of command, while taking the time to get to know Airmen stationed at the 48 FW.
"The most important thing you can do is be ready," he said. "I can't tell you what the next scenario is going to be. However, our Nation's leaders assume when we deploy, our forces are ready and good at what they do, as good as they have always been in the past."
Looking toward future operations and despite the fact the last troops left Iraq last month, the 48 FW can still expect to remain busy. When asked what's next, Welsh emphasized the rational of basing U.S. forces in Europe and the rapid deployment capability they provide.
"The intent of forward-based forces is to provide an option to the president of the United States to respond to a contingency situation," said Welsh. "If you want to be able to react with a no-fly zone or kinetic capability from the air within 72 to 96 hours, you have to have forces forward deployed."
Also, during his time on base, Welsh observed the wing's mission and capabilities first hand by visiting the flying squadrons, attending lunch with enlisted Airmen, meeting with deployed spouses, and hosting enlisted and officer calls.
Welsh also answered Airmen's concerns about the future of the command amidst military restructuring initiatives.
There are discussions occurring at every level about budget realities and restructuring, he said. But those are not going to alter the fact that this "will be the best Air Force in the world in the future, just as it is today," Welsh said. "That's not going to change."
