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18th AF CC Returns "Home" To Pope

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. Chris Hoyler
  • 43rd Airlift Wing Public Affairs
POPE AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. --  Maj. Gen. Winfield W. Scott III, 18th Air Force commander, and his wife Kathy made their first official visit to Pope Oct. 16 and 17 for the first time since the general assumed command of 18th AF. 

"Nothing on this trip exceeded my expectations, because I know that when I come to Pope I'm going to see nothing but the best," General Scott said. 

The general, who has twice been stationed at Pope, including a tour as the wing and installation commander, had a chance to visit many of Pope's squadrons and facilities that were here when he was in command, as well as some of Pope's newer gems. 

"The Combat Control School is fantastic," General Scott said. "It's a great facility that epitomizes what Pope is all about -- it's not just an Air Mobility Command mission -- it's a team mission." 

As Pope and the 43rd Airlift Wing continue to evolve under Base Realignment and Closure actions, the non-AMC tenants will continue to define Pope's combat airlift mission and relationship with our sister services. 

"The relationship that we have with Fort Bragg is going to be great, no matter what happens with the 43rd," the general said. "Nobody knows the Army as well as the Airmen at Pope, and that's what makes our mission and our relationship so special." 

General Scott made a stop at the 43rd Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron and took the chance to get an up-close look at the training the 43rd AES and 43rd Medical Group did to prepare for their hurricane relief efforts in the Gulf Coast last month. 

"That humanitarian relief mission is the first-rate work our nation expects from 18th Air Force and Pope Airmen," General Scott said. "We can go from executing our everyday combat mission to providing vital humanitarian assistance anywhere we're needed." 

Many of Pope's local civic leaders remember General Scott's time at Pope, and several of them took the time to thank him and more than 100 other Pope Airmen with a reception at the Airborne and Special Operations Museum in downtown Fayetteville Oct. 16 hosted by the Pope Special Activities Committee and the Air Force Association. 

Johnny Dawkins, a Pope Honorary Commander and the representative on AMC Commander Gen. Arthur Lichte's Civic Leader Group, represented PSAC at the event along with another former Pope commander, Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Paul Dordal, who now serves as the president of the local chapter of the Air Force Association. 

While the strength of Pope's community support hasn't changed since General Scott was last here, the 43rd AW's structure and manning has. 

He visited with squadrons that have remained since his time as commander but have undergone significant changes, including the 2nd Airlift Squadron, 3rd Aerial Port Squadron and 43rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, with the focus of each stop being the unique relationship each shares with the Air Force Reserve Command's 440th Airlift Wing. 

"We know what BRAC says, and the 43rd Airlift Wing will become a group," the general said. "but the bottom line is that Pope, regardless of the tenant, is here to work side by side with our warfighting partners. 

"Pope won't be going anywhere, and the Airmen here will maintain Green Ramp so it can continue to serve as a platform that projects the combined power of our airborne Soldiers and combat airlift."