U.S. Air Force Gen. Hawk Carlisle visits the 366th Fighter Wing Published March 11, 2016 By Senior Airman Jeremy L. Mosier 366th Fighter Wing Public Affairs MOUNTAIN HOME AIR FORCE BASE, Idaho -- U.S. Air Force Gen. Hawk Carlisle, commander of Air Combat Command visited squadrons around Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, March 7 and 8, to discuss mission priorities with subject matter experts and recognize superior performers. “I don’t think there’s anybody closer [at the wing level] or better at what they do, or more tactically and operationally prepared to do the mission,” Carlisle said. He addressed key topics from around the Air Force with more than 800 airmen, where he complimented the leadership and members of the 366th Fighter Wing, stressing that it all starts with the mission. “Air power is indispensable to the defense of this nation,” he said. “You cannot win the joint war fight or protect our country if you don’t have air power.” He also discussed two of the challenges the Air Force is facing; the first one being manning. “We are in demand in every single position in every single organization we have,” Carlisle said. “The good news is we are not going to do any more force reductions, I don’t see us doing anything but growing.” The second challenge that he discussed was the workload and frequent deployments— a byproduct of the Strike Eagles’ popularity. “A single squadron of F-15E’s carries more ordnance farther with greater precision than an entire wing of F-16s,” he said. “So, when people are asking for a force the first thing a combatant commander is going to ask for is 18 [Strike Eagles].” Carlisle assured that Air Combat Command, as the global force manager for the Combat Air Forces, is working hard to improve the operation tempo.