USAFE may shift south to ease AfriCom mission

[unhappycamper]

USAFE may shift south to ease AfriCom mission
By Seamus O’Connor - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday Apr 10, 2008 5:58:42 EDT

As U.S. Air Forces in Europe considers how it will manage demands on its airlift fleet once Africa Command hits full operating capability Oct. 1, Air Mobility Command is considering shuffling its Europe-based personnel.

AMC currently has 1,757 airmen at 10 European bases, about half at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. But the command may move an undetermined number of personnel from German and British bases further south, enabling airlifters to fly more directly to Africa from America.

Bases that could receive an influx of AMC airmen include Naval Station Rota and Morón Air Base, Spain; Lajes Field, Azores, Portugal; and Naval Air Station Sigonella, Italy, according to Stephen McAllister, AMC en route planner. No plans are certain at the moment, and McAllister declined to discuss any details citing the ongoing host-nation notification process.

“There are some strategic thoughts about what needs to happen in the long term, but those right now are theoretical at best,” McAllister said.

Part of the issue is that until AfriCom gets underway, no one knows what kind of mission requirements it will generate, or who will fulfill them.


Rest of article at: http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2008/04/airforce_usafe_move_040908/



uhc comment: "no one knows what kind of mission requirements it will generate" my ass. If they have oil, Africom will be there.