Army Four-Star Commends Aviation Contribution To War Fighters

REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. -- Army leadership views events like last week's AMCOM 101 as an investment -- an investment for the Army as it provides professional and technical development for its Soldiers, an investment for the Aviation and Missile Command as it shares its knowledge base and resources with Soldiers, and an investment for the Soldiers who are not only learning about Army policy and technology but also getting a chance to network and view capabilities.

For Army Materiel Command top leader Gen. Dennis Via, that investment goes a long way in developing a cohesive Army aviation community that is responsive and successful in meeting the challenges of defending the nation and freedom worldwide.

"The Army and the joint forces executed the war on the back of aviation, and the success of our operations were conducted on the backs of aviators," Via said referring to Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, and missions in Korea, the Pacific and Europe.

"There is no way forces could have achieved mission success without aviation in regions that were mountainous and vast, and in difficult weather conditions," Via said. "You've transported equipment and thousands of troops, and saved thousands of lives."

For that reason, Via made it a priority to attend the opening ceremony for the AMCOM 101 for Aviation, held at the Bob Jones Auditorium Aug. 25-27. He expressed his appreciation to Army aviators and to AMCOM Commander Maj. Gen. Jim Richardson.

"(Maj. Gen. Richardson) has made a dramatic impact on this command," Via said. "As we draw down troops and increase operations, he brings the expertise and experience of being a combat aviator at the point of the spear for AMCOM. Now, he is a commander on the back end, pushing for aviation."

In the fall of 2014, as the 101st Airborne prepared for a mission in West Africa to suppress the international spread of the Ebola virus, AMCOM was ready to provide sustainment support for aviation systems deploying with the 101st. The question for aviation was not so much how to fly in West Africa, but how to sustain the fleet once it was deployed, Via said.

AMCOM was "anticipating logistics, planning to get things there, in order to install, operate and maintain equipment," Via said.

That task has been made more difficult, he said, adding that the Army has leaned heavily on contractor logistics support in the absence of support from Soldiers, who have instead been tasked the past 14 years with fighting the Global War on Terrorism.

Now, as the war winds down, the Army is undergoing a reshaping of forces, pushing sustainment activities from contractors back to Soldiers. And, in that reshaping, the Army needs commanders such as Richardson who have the experience to face the challenge of reduced budgets and increased requirements around the world, Via said.

"Requirements continue to grow every day and all those missions require aviation in some shape or form," he said.

It is estimated that 70 to 75 percent of today's Soldiers were not in the Army prior to 9/11, and don't have the benefit of the maintenance and sustainment experience and training of a pre-9/11 Soldier due to the war's high optempo, he said.

The challenges of maintaining an expeditionary edge will increase as budget pressures mount and the Army must sustain its end strength, readiness and modernization programs, Via said.

"It's not if, but when, will we see another contingency. In today's world we must be ready for anything, it could be in Africa, Europe, Korea or any region," said Via. "We are reducing from 580,000 to 450,000 Soldiers and we are in a period of transition, which are hard. But we exist to develop and deliver readiness solutions no matter what the conditions are."

The number of forward operating bases in Afghanistan have gone from 700 at their peak to less than 25 today. At one time, the U.S. have 50,000 vehicles in Afghanistan with that number now reduced to 7,000. The number of contractors has gone from more than 1,000 to less than 100.

To help the Army and the joint forces be more responsive with its expeditionary forces, plans are being considered that could involve assigning teams of global agents to monitor a region's situation, help share international interests and provide readiness, and building condition controlled warehousing in strategic locations to increase readiness, reduce maintenance requirements and extend the use of equipment and parts.

"The goal is setting conditions, sustaining operations and mobility," Via said. "Our strategic advantage is our ability to sustain the force. The Army provides an enabling foundation for the joint forces in terms of intelligence, medical, engineering, signal and logistics. AMC provides an enabling capability to sustain forces once they are there."

In terms of innovation and modernization, Via said Army aviation remains "critically important to the ability to fly larger payloads, further distances, undetected with less fuel" and that the most important investment is in technology and research for future aviation systems.

"We are not just investing for the American people, but for the men and women who volunteer to put their lives in harm's way," Via said. "We've got to get out there first with technology. That's how we will maintain the technological edge that allows us to dominate."

Via credited the tremendous artisans and steel craftsman, and phenomenal capabilities of the Corpus Christi Army Depot, managed by AMCOM, for the continued success of the Army's aviation fleet. Corpus Christi along with the Army's other 22 Organic Industrial Base facilities provide the equipment capabilities that allow Soldier readiness.

"If we lose these capabilities, we will lose readiness for our Army," he said.

Transitioning equipment and personnel, the Army's fiscal reality and the complex global environment will all become more difficult in the next few years, Via said. He added that the strength of the Army will be founded in its re-investment in Soldier standards, discipline and accountability, and that austere budgetary times force leaders to make the right decisions, the tough choices.

"It takes leadership to lead through transitions and to prepare for the next contingency," said Via. "There will be another contingency and aviation will be called on to support it."