CC visits to units forge stronger relationships, strengthen wing Published March 31, 2016 By 375th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs Airman Daniel Garcia SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- The 375th Air Mobility Wing commander and command chief visited two geographically separated units March 17-18 as part of their priority to engage with Airmen and strengthen the wing's mission. The visit, said Col. Laura Lenderman and Command Chief Wesley Mathias, highlighted "the cross discipline teamwork that keeps the U.S. Air Force strong." They left Scott AFB aboard a C-40C aircraft flown by members of the 54th Airlift Squadron assigned to the 375th Operations Group. The C-40C aircraft located at Scott are owned by the 932nd Airlift Wing, but are operated by both Reserve and active duty members from the 375th AMW. Their first stop was at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. At Andrews, Lenderman and Mathias met with members of the 457th Airlift Squadron where wing personnel operate four C-21A aircraft. With 35 military and civilian personnel in place, the 475th AS have an operational support airlift mission moving key senior civil and military leaders and cargo during wartime, peacetime and contingencies. Many of the pilots in the 457th are recent undergraduate pilot training graduates. Their C-21 mission provides officers valuable flying experience prior to their follow-on assignments in other major weapon systems in the Mobility Air Forces. Lt. Col. John Borowski, 457th AS commander, said, "There are very few units who execute DV airlift missions. We perform a similar mission set to the 458th AS (at Scott) with the exception being that they have an additional mission serving as the C-21A Formal Training Unit. We both have a deployed mission serving U.S. Central Command, and we both provide a similar level of support to our CONUS-based customers. Our primary customers are senior members of the Air Staff, the Air Force Secretariat and Major Command commanders; however, we also serve a unique role for U.S. Southern Command supporting distinguished visitor airlift requirements to Central and South America. When demand exceeds the 89th Airlift Wing's [at Andrews] capacity our customer base increases, and we are also used to support diplomatic efforts of cabinet members and other high-ranking U.S. government dignitaries." Next, Lenderman and Mathias met with members assigned to Detachment 4, the wing's newest unit, located at Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio. On Feb. 1 this unit was realigned from Headquarters Air Mobility Command to the 375th AMW. The Det. 4 mission focus is on all aeromedical evacuation initial qualifications for the Air Force. With a team of 40 experienced Airmen, the unit trains over 250 Airmen a year to conduct aeromedical evacuation missions around the world. Det. 4 instructors also use deployment, humanitarian, and global response training scenarios as well as rigorous, standardized classroom instruction to ensure flight nurses and aeromedical evacuation technicians are mission ready to safely move and care for patients across the spectrum of aircraft platforms. The unit amplifies the knowledge students have gained in other coursework such as the Flight Nurse/Aeromedical Evacuation Technician course taught at the United States Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine, also located at Wright Patterson AFB. Det. 4's rigorous 22-day course is hosted eight times a year. During the course, Det. 4 instructors train their students in aircraft familiarization, emergency equipment, and altitude physiology, among many other subject areas. They conduct simulated missions on the C-130, C-17 and KC-135 aircraft. For many Airmen, this is the first time they are exposed to the three primary aeromedical evacuation platforms. Lt. Col. James Campion, Det. 4 commander, explained that "this means that we have a direct impact on shaping the current and future active duty, National Guard, and Air Force Reserve AE units." This includes the 375th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron located at Scott AFB, which is one of four active duty AE squadrons in the Air Force--two are located stateside and two overseas. Lenderman said, "Det. 4 Airmen are the leading experts in the AE community. They are skilled. They are enthusiastic. They are a passionate team. Chief Mathias and I traveled to see them in action and to get to know them. They are an essential part of our team. Successful teams are built on trust. We went there to connect with Det. 4 personnel and to strengthen our relationships. I am grateful that we could spend time with our Airmen and see them in action. They are an essential part of strengthening our capability to provide 'Help From Above'."