New AMC commander visits Bradley

  • Published
  • By Capt. Dawn Surprenant
  • 103rd Airlift Wing, Public Affairs
BRADLEY AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE - East Granby, Conn. --  Gen. Darren W. McDew, who took command of Air Mobility Command in early May, visited the Airmen of the 103rd Airlift Wing at Bradley Air National Guard Base, East Granby, Conn., May 27, 2014.

McDew is the 11th commander of AMC and leads all Mobility Air Forces comprised of civilian, active-duty, Air National Guard, and Air Force Reserve forces. The importance of the general's first official visit to one of his subordinate wings did not go un-noticed by leadership here.

"It is a great sign that Gen. McDew took the time to visit the Flying Yankees in his new role as the Air Mobility Commander," said Col. Frank Detorie, commander, 103rd Airlift Wing.
After a briefing on the unit's ongoing mission conversion from Detorie and a short question and answer session that included Maj. Gen. Thaddeus Martin, The Adjutant General, Connecticut and Brig. Gen. Jon Mott, Assistant Adjutant General - Air, Gen. McDew was guided on a tour of the 103rd Operations Group and then on to the hangar where he met some of the Airmen from the 103rd Maintenance Group.

"For all the great strategic discussions between myself, TAG, ATAG and Gen. McDew, I was struck by his real desire to get outside and meet as many of our Airmen as he could," said Detorie.

The visit offered the general a first-hand look at the conversion that is in full-swing here and the hard work the Airmen of the 103rd are putting into it.

"Meeting Gen. McDew was uplifting," said Airman 1st Class Bailee Graveline of the 103rd Maintenance Squadron. "Only being in the Air Force for a little bit over a year and getting the chance to meet someone who we all look up to and seeing that he was so approachable was incredible."

I'm very impressed by the 103rd Airlift Wing and the progress made already with the conversion, especially in spite of what the base has been through in the last five years, said McDew.

"He came up to Airman Pires, Airman Shopey and myself while we were working in the C-130 and shook our hands, asked what we were doing and had a laughter-filled conversation," said Graveline. "It is nice to know that the men and women who are above us, that watch and take care of us, are so approachable and take time out of their busy work days to come to talk to us."

I would like the opportunity to come back on a unit training assembly weekend to meet and greet more of the outstanding Airmen that Bradley has to offer, said McDew.