Commander pays a visit to deployed troops

  • Published
  • By 1st Lt. Wayne Capps
  • 315th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  Deployed members of the 315th Airlift Wing received a surprise visitor last month as they were working on a remote flight line in Kuwait, their commander. 

The nearly 55 deployed, Charleston based reservists, met with their commander, Col. Gary Cook, commander of the 315th Airlift Wing at Charleston AFB, S.C., as he paid a visit to their work sections. 

“These citizen Airmen have volunteered to come over here because they know that they make a difference,” said the colonel in an interview with embedded, News 2 reporter Warren Peper. “I want them to know that we are proud of them,” he said. 

“I have had over 7 different wing commanders and 10 different deployments in my military career and this is the first one that has visited us at a deployed location to show his support,” said Staff Sgt. Andy Harkleroad, a deployed Aerial Port specialist with the 81st Aerial Port Squadron. “It means a lot to me that he would visit the folks working behind the scenes,” said Harkleroad. 

Col. Cook will spend a couple days visiting with troops in Kuwait, primarily members of the 81st, 38th, 53rd and 84th Aerial Port Squadrons. The Charleston based Aerial Porters are deployed moving cargo in and around the Southwest Asia theater of operation. 

Following the visit with the troops in Kuwait, the colonel will make a stop at Ramstein AB, Germany to see more deployed Charleston reservists. 

Nearly 30 members of the 315th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron are deployed to Germany moving wounded patients from the Middle East to Germany, where they receive care away from the front lines. 

Col. Cook said, he likes to visit the troops at least a couple times a year. Last year his visits were during Christmas and Thanksgiving.

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