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18th AF leaders visit Scott’s host wing, emphasize future-focused readiness

  • Published
  • By 375th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. --  

Maj. Gen. Charles Bolton, Eighteenth Air Force commander, along with his leadership team and spouse, Mrs. Stacey Bolton, visited the 375th Air Mobility Wing for an immersion, Sept. 18, 2025.

Throughout the daylong visit, Maj. Gen. Bolton and Mrs. Bolton met with Airmen, toured mission sets, and engaged with families and support agencies, giving them a first-hand look at how the 375th AMW embodies the 18th AF mission to deliver ready forces and equipment for global air mobility.

General shakes hands

U.S. Air Force Col. Matt Collins, 375th Air Mobility Wing commander, greets Maj. Gen Charles Bolton, Eighteenth Air Force commander, during an immersion on Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, Sept. 18, 2025. Bolton visited with units across Scott to learn the wing’s role as a “global power projection platform” within Air Mobility Command. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Violette Hosack)
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The visit began with mentorship breakfasts with Airmen and Key Support Liaisons, kicking off a theme of the day’s conversations: people.

“The mission starts and stops with you,” Bolton emphasized to Airmen during the immersion. “Because it’s you that makes it happen.”

A mission brief from Col. Matt Collins, 375th AMW commander, wrapped up the morning. He showcased the wing’s role as a “global power projection platform” within Air Mobility Command and highlighted how Airmen drive mission success through the wing’s framework: to Prepare, Perform, and Project.

Airmen speak around a table

U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Joseph Arce, Eighteenth Air Force command chief, listens to Chief Master Sgt. Quentin Davis, 375th Air Mobility Wing command chief, during an immersion on Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, Sept. 18, 2025. Arce met with first sergeants from across the installation to discuss challenges, share best practices, and reinforce their vital role in maintaining unit readiness and supporting Airmen and their families. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Violette Hosack)
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After a lunch with leadership across the wing, Bolton’s immersion shifted to demonstrations and facility visits:

  • Security Forces: Counter small-Unmanned Aircraft System capabilities and defending mobility in contested environments.
  • Aeromedical Evacuation: Hands-on look at the Theater Aeromedical Evacuation System Battle Lab and ongoing advancements in patient movement capabilities.
  • Communications: Data Center tour and innovation-led network sustainability and cybersecurity resiliency efforts.
  • Civil Engineering: Flood mitigation measures, highlighting the installation as a warfighting platform that must remain operational under all conditions.

While Maj. Gen. Bolton focused on operations, Mrs. Bolton centered on family. Her stops — from the Military Family Readiness Center to child and youth programs — emphasized that you can’t build a mission-focused force without a support system or the programs that sustain them.

Women pose for a group picture in front of plane

Stacey Bolton, spouse of the Eighteenth Air Force commander, U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Charles Bolton, accompanied by other base spouses and members of Team Scott, pose in front of a Boeing C-40 Clipper during an immersion on Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, Sept. 18, 2025. The group was introduced to members of the 54th Airlift Squadron and participated in a simulation of their flight services. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Devin Morgan)
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The visit concluded with an all-call, where Bolton recognized outstanding performers across the wing and spoke directly to Airmen. While he highlighted key initiatives like AFFORGEN predictability and organizational restructuring, his overall message was about what the 375th AMW brings to the fight.

During the Q&A portion of the all-call, Bolton stressed the importance of delivering resources Airmen need to complete the mission.

“This future fight is not the same as past fights,” said Bolton. “It requires a different mentality and more preparation, and my priority is making sure you’re ready for it.”

The day closed with a ceremonial Air Force Birthday cake cutting, where the wing’s most junior Airmen joined Bolton to honor the service’s 78 years of heritage — a symbolic reminder that every generation carries the mission forward.