SecAF visits Airmen at Aviano

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Katherine Windish
  • 31st Fighter Wing Public Affairs
AVIANO AIR BASE, Italy --  Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley visited the 31st Fighter Wing June 16-17 to meet with Airmen and wing leadership here and tour the installation and its facilities.

During his visit, the secretary received briefings on the wing's mission and operations, dined with junior enlisted Airmen, conducted an Airmen's call for base personnel, and participated in the graduation of Class 11-B from Aviano Air Base's Airmen Leadership School.

Following several briefings, including updates on contingency support to Operation Unified Protector, he shared lunch with Airmen at the base's La Dolce Vita Dining Facility, during which he and his staff discussed issues affecting Airmen. Topics included quality of life for dormitory residents, deployments and health care.

After additional stops around the base, the secretary then addressed Team Aviano during an Airmen's call. He told attendees that he was pleased with his first visit to the base and the work going on here.

"You have an outstanding team here," the secretary said. "I've been very impressed with what I have seen here today. You all deserve to be very proud of the missions that you continue to accomplish at this important location."

"Thanks for all you do to ensure that the 31st Fighter Wing is ready to respond anytime, anywhere," Secretary Donley added.

During his remarks, he highlighted the 31st Fighter Wing's achievements, to include its support of U.S. Central Command operations with deployed personnel and combat capabilities, its partnership capacity building within U.S. European Command, and the wing's performance during Operation Odyssey Dawn under U.S. Africa Command leadership.

"During Odyssey Dawn, the 31st excelled as the lead wing for fighter aircraft and in a time of urgent need you began executing combat operations in less than a week," Secretary Donley said. "It was a very, very impressive generation of combat capability...and Team Aviano deserves enormous credit for this successful effort."

Following the secretary's comments, he invited Airmen to present questions or concerns. He fielded queries about health care, budget cuts, physical training requirements, guard and reserve capabilities, technology and modernization of the force.
"I'm confident that we will be able to maintain our place as the world's finest Air Force despite our fiscal challenges," he said, responding to concerns about recent and future Defense Department budget cuts.

The secretary concluded the Airmen's call by commending the 31st Fighter Wing for a job well done and credited the people here who work so hard.

"Thanks for all of the things you are doing out here through the 31st [Fighter Wing] and all of the things you do at Aviano," said Secretary Donley. "Thank you for being such strong members of a team: supporting three combatant commanders from one location."

"It's an amazing operation to put all this together - to in a sense become a joint base, to become a coalition base, on such short notice," he said. "You've worked some real miracles out here. It's an honor to serve with you in the world's finest Air Force."

Later that day, the Secretary addressed family members, friends, supervisors and other guests of graduates at a graduation ceremony for Aviano's Airmen Leadership School.