ANG Command Chief Visits Alaska, Hawaii, Antarctica

Air National Guard Command CMSgt. James Hotaling recently spent nearly a month visiting airmen in Alaska, Hawaii, and Antarctica. The trip, which lasted from Oct. 31 to Nov. 22, took the chief to the 176th Wing in Anchorage, Alaska; the 168th Wing in Fairbanks, Alaska; and the 154th Wing at JB Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. Hotaling also dropped in on Operation Deep Freeze and visited the 109th Airlift Wing across Antarctica, which he said “was a significant difference from our normal template.” “When we normally visit an Air National Guard wing, it’s a very quick trip—about 30 hours on the ground, really,” said Hotaling, who said he enjoyed spending the extra time with the airmen. He also noted the importance of being able to show those in remote locations that they are just as supported as those who are easier to access. “I got to talk to airmen who are doing the mission that you expect any ANG airman to do, but they’re doing it in very remote locations,” he said. “They again proved to me that if you set clear vision and goals throughout the organization, that no matter where an airman is, they’ll be able to perform.” (ANG release.)