AMC leader discusses challenges with Robins, AFA members Published Jan. 15, 2010 By Wayne Crenshaw 78 ABW/PA ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- Members of the local Air Force Association chapter heard from a key leader coping with some of the biggest challenges being faced by Air Mobility Command. Maj. Gen. Susan Desjardins, Strategic Planning, Requirements and Programs director at Headquarters Air Mobility Command, spoke at the luncheon held Wednesday at Horizons. It was hosted by the AFA Carl Vinson Memorial Chapter 296 and attended by about 80 people. Desjardins talked in detail about some of the biggest challenges facing AMC as it copes with the stresses of two prolonged wars, an aging aircraft fleet and the future challenges of "irregular warfare." One immediate challenge to face is the shift of emphasis from Iraq to Afghanistan. "This is an incredible move as we shift to a completely different environment with a completely different set of challenges and completely different terrain, with less runway and less things that we need," she said. "It's not a grunt move, it's a finesse move. This finesse move is going to take an awful lot of planning and a lot of thinking ahead and a lot of just rolling up our sleeves and going to work." She highlighted the three key AMC responsibilities, which are tanker air refueling, strategic and tactical airlift, and medical evacuation. She expressed optimism that the Air Force is getting close to fulfilling its top acquisition priority, which is a new refueling tanker aircraft. "We need a new tanker," she said. "We need a new tanker today. We've needed a new tanker for a long time. Eisenhower-era tankers are what our crews are flying today and we've done a good job of maintaining those aircraft, but it's time to get a new one. We are in a capability and capacity gap. We really need to press ahead with this new tanker." Desjardins, a pilot with 3,800 hours in the C-17, C-5 and other aircraft, said the strategic air fleet is in good shape but that the intra-theater tactical airlift fleet needs some help. She said more combat capable C-130s are needed. She said the speed of medical evacuation has dramatically increased in recent years through a strategy that allows evac teams to take whatever aircraft they can get at the moment to perform evacuations. She was visiting not just to speak at the luncheon but to tour Robins and learn more about what goes on here. "We are getting out and seeing what you are doing to be able to understand different programs that we are trying to work so that we can advocate when we go out to fight the budget battles and get you all what you need here," she said.