OC-ALC commander, AFMC leaders visit warfighters Published March 26, 2010 By Brandice J. Armstrong Tinker Public Affairs TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- Senior leaders from Air Force Materiel Command, including the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center commander, toured the U.S. Central Command's Area of Responsibility recently. What they learned made a lasting impact. In early February, Maj. Gen. David Gillett, OC-ALC commander, toured several European and Middle Eastern countries with Gen. Donald Hoffman, AFMC commander and other AFMC senior leaders. The purpose of the trip was to identify opportunities for the command to improve support to warfighters. "We always find something that leads somebody on the team to say, 'Holy cow, why can't we do business better?'" General Hoffman said. "I like to bring those back as examples of how we can be thinking as a command, and be more responsive to our deployed warfighters." General Gillett agreed. "Job one is to understand the mission and what it is we're trying to support," General Gillett said. "That gives us the perspective to know what really is or isn't important. We also have to prioritize our efforts to make sure we fill their needs so they can support and accomplish the mission." General Gillett said he learned several valuable lessons that will enable the OC-ALC to better support the warfighter. "Our engaged forces are getting the right level of support and while they have some concerns, we have made significant headway in eliminating their logistical concerns," General Gillett said. "That doesn't mean we can rest on our laurels though, because we are supporting those forward forces at the expense of the forces that remain at home." The 11-day trip began with visits to Belgium, Israel and Greece to discuss foreign-military sales, military-to-military contact and logistics. General Gillett said he learned a lot of from the standpoints of United States' allies and the challenges they face. During a visit to a small town, the group distributed coats and shoes to local children as part of the "Warm and Dry" campaign. Despite the snow on the ground or lack of heat in the schools, the children had gone without the basic essentials. "For me that was a good experience because it gave me some understanding of people in a country far from our borders," General Gillett said. "It made them real. They're struggling for the same things we are and they just have huge obstacles that are holding them back." The group traveled to Iraq and met with U.S. military officials in Baghdad. They talked about the logistical challenges of the draw-down and moving forces out of Iraq on the scheduled timeline as well as the surge of forces in Afghanistan. Lastly, General Gillett said the group visited another base in Southwest Asia, where he met with several reservists, active duty and guard Airmen from Tinker. "They all seem to be doing well," General Gillett said. "Moms, husbands and wives can be assured they're well and they're doing what they were sent there to do."