COMACC visits Barksdale

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Megan M. Tracy
  • 2d Bomb Wing Public Affairs
BARKSDALE AFB, La --  The commander of Air Combat Command, General William M. Fraser III, visited Barksdale this week--just one of his many stops throughout ACC. The purpose of General Fraser's visit was to complete his personal review of future Air Force Global Strike Command bases to ensure that they are ready for the transition to the new command.

"After having the opportunity to visit here the last couple of days, I have all the confidence in the world that this is going to be a smooth and transparent change as we transition 8th AF, Minot, Whiteman and Barksdale to AFGSC," General Fraser said. "It's going to go very smoothly because of the professional Airmen here in the 2d Bomb Wing. It is a change, but it'll be mostly transparent to those who are accomplishing the mission on a day-to-day basis."

During his three-day visit, General Fraser took time to visit Airmen around the base, speak to members of team Barksdale about what the future holds, and to give them some advice on how to navigate through the unknown.

"One of the items that I talked about during my time here this week, was making sure that our Airmen maintain balance," General Fraser said. "They need to maintain balance in their lives as they run this marathon, it's not a sprint. The nation is counting upon them--I know they'll succeed.

General Fraser also had the opportunity to attend a meet-and-greet reception that gave him a chance to visit with influential members of the local area.

"I want to thank the local communities of Shreveport / Bossier City," he said. "You here at Barksdale are unique because of their tremendous support. That was evident when I served here, but it's more evident now. They're stepping up and making sure they're doing everything they can to support this base and those who are serving here."

"Knowing their families will be taken care of when our Airmen are deployed increases our combat capability. Our Airmen can focus on things they need to because of the tremendous support they get from the local communities at home station," he added.
General Fraser was the 2d Bomb Wing commander from May 1999 to December 2000. He says that although time has caused some physical changes throughout the wing, the dedication of the Airmen remains the same.

"They've done nothing but get better," he said. "Those that have served here since I left have continued to take it to the next level. I have seen tremendous progress in the capabilities of our Airmen to accomplish the mission, the upgrades and quality of life improvements. It's been very positive to come back and see the transformation that has taken place."

The 2d BW was in the middle of a Nuclear Surety Inspection when General Fraser arrived, and he made it a point to stop by the Inspector General out-brief to see exactly how well Barksdale performed.

"The IG validated our mission performance with a very thorough, in-depth and critical look at the 2d Bomb Wing. I'm proud of all the Airmen here who stepped up and did an outstanding job. There is no doubt that they are capable of accomplishing the mission," he said.

AFGSC will take over the Air Force's bomber forces on February 1. AFGSC previously took control of the Air Force's Intercontinental Ballistic Force in December, 2009.