The commander of the 18th Airborne Corps, Lt. Gen. Frank Helmick, presented an “Iron Mike” statuette to Air Mobility Command boss Gen. Raymond Johns for AMC’s transport of the 82nd Airborne Division to Haiti for relief operations following the devastating Jan. 12 earthquake. Helmick said, “The airmen, pilots, and flight crews were phenomenal, flexible, professional, and effective.” The statuette is a miniature of the original “Iron Mike” statue of an airborne trooper that has stood on Ft. Bragg, N.C., since 1961. AMC officials said transporting the 82nd took seven hours to plan and 100 hours to execute and employed 91 C-17 and C-130 loads. Helmick said “Many Haitian lives were saved because of their [the mobility force] actions.” In nearly a month of Haiti relief operations, more than 357 AMC aircraft have flown into Haiti, moving 5,000 personnel and 8,500 tons of cargo. (AMC release by Laura McAndrews)
U.S. Northern Command plans to sign an agreement with its European and Pacific counterparts to enhance coordination and close security seams in the Arctic, a strategically vital region that spans all three commands. The agreement comes at an important moment in NORTHCOM's evolution, as its mission grows more complex.
