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Return to First Friday Briefing 165th's Westgate Takes On New Position Col. Steve Westgate, who
commands Savannah’s 165th Airlift Wing, has been named deputy
director of mobility forces (DM4) in the Southwest Asia Area of
Operations (AOR). During his 90-day deployment
overseeing mobility operations throughout Southwest Asia, it is
his task to coordinates air assets used throughout the theater
of operations. The seven-day-a-week,
eight-hour workload leaves him little time except to work, run,
eat and sleep and then to start the routine over again, Westgate
said. But he quickly added, “What I do doesn’t hold a candle
to what our soldiers and airmen are doing everyday in the
field.” As deputy director of mobility operations, Westgate is working out of U.S. Central Command at Al Udeid AB, Qatar. “We carry every thing from
Arnold Schwarzenegger visiting the troops to suspected weapons of mass
destruction found ‘in theatre,’” said Westgate, whose supervision
extends to virtually every facet of Central Command U.S. Air Forces air
operations in the congested air corridor over Southwest Asia. He also
handles an ever-changing air control environment that demands his
careful attention to detail and operational security. Westgate, in working with the
Combined Air and Space Operations Center, is charged with the movement
of troops, vehicles, ammunition and food throughout the region. Hundreds
of airlift aircraft travel the Southwest Asian skies each day to bring
this vital cargo to the continuing war effort. On a daily basis, Westgate is
coordinating air traffic control slot times into each country in the
region. He arranges for diplomatic clearances, coordinates base closures
and openings, secure country clearances for distinguished visitors
airlift, coordinates American Expeditionary Force rotations in and out
of area of operations. Westgate’s new job also has
him developing aircraft tactics within the theater of operations,
resolving tanker aircraft issues and arranges for the movement of enemy
prisoner of war. He oversees issues of security and intelligence matters
as well as those concerning aircraft maintenance, supply, airspace and
force protection. As deputy director Westgate has conducted airfield surveys to Balad, Baghdad, Al Minhad and Al Dhafra. In addition to tactical airlift, Westgate handles the strategic airlift missions flown by Air Force C-5, C-17 and C-141 aircraft and works issues involving coalition aircraft and contract air carriers that bring in and take out military personnel. |
