Gen. Buchanan reflects on career Published April 12, 2006 By Tech. Sgt. Kevin Williams 20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. -- After serving almost 34 years in the Air Force, Lt. Gen. Walter E. Buchanan III, 9th Air Force and U.S. Central Command Air Forces commander, will retire April 1st. Upon reflecting on his career, he said while the quality of Airmen remained the same, the technology the Air Force uses changed dramatically since he joined in 1972. "The first thing that comes to my mind is that when I joined the Air Force - F-105s, F-100s and F-4s were all front-line fighters. Those airplanes are all retired and now we're flying F-15s, F-16s and F-22s," he said. "The biggest change I've seen is in industry and technology. The science of aerospace has evolved tremendously. Fighters (used to) drop six bombs to hit one target. Today, we're dropping one bomb to hit one target," he said. When he came into the Air Force, space wasn't given much consideration, he said. The Air Force was just beginning to work with the NASA program. "From a military perspective, it was very limited. Now space is a very important part of our day-to-day operations," said Gen. Buchanan. Likewise, fighter aircraft have vastly evolved. "The F-105 had a navigation board that popped down," recalled the general. "It was a plotting table literally in the airplane. Nowadays, there are data cartridges that are injected into the computer software and GPS navigation systems. "The technology has changed so much that we're more efficient, accurate, responsive and lethal than we ever were before," he said. With all the changes over his career, he said there has always been one constant - the men and women of the Air Force. "When it comes to Airmen on the ramp, they are just as motivated, smart and dedicated as they were years ago," he said. "When I take a look at the Airmen I met back then and the Airmen I know today, I see that our training has been fine-tuned and tailored to match increases in the science of aerospace that have occurred over the past 34 years. The dedication of the individual Airman hasn't changed." When asked what he will miss most about the Air Force, without hesitation, he said, "The people." "First and foremost, the Air Force is a team," he said. "Nobody would be where they are in their careers by themselves. Throughout everyone's career, all Airmen are supported by a 'Sea of Airmen' that have carried and supported them. "I look back on my own (career) and think about all the Airmen who worked on all of the different aircraft I flew. My aircraft didn't just show up on the flightline mission-ready," he said. "There was a huge force behind that effort who made sure they were ready." To the Airmen who take up this legacy and carry it forward, Gen. Buchanan offered several pieces of advice. Airmen need to learn from peers and lean on each other for guidance and knowledge, he said. Supervisors need to take the time to lead, mentor and shape each subordinate into the Airman he or she is. The general entered the Air Force during the cold war, and is ending his career as a leader in fighting the Global War on Terror. Although his career has had many highlights, he especially enjoyed his last four years with USCENTAF. "There's no other place I can go from here and be able to lead Airmen in combat, have them rely on me to make sure they have the right kind of leadership and resources they need to accomplish the mission," he said. "To hand back the future of two different countries from oppressive regimes and allow them to rebuild their nation is a noble thing to do. This has been the high point. Throughout my career, everything along the way was just in preparation for what I'm doing now." Just why rebuilding these nations is important struck home to the general on a day in Afghanistan - a day that will stay with him forever. On that day, he was driving through Kabul, Afghanistan, and there was a rubbish pile on the side of the road with a bunch of children playing around it. There was one particular child standing on top of the pile wearing a dirty, orange Mickey Mouse t-shirt. And yet, what caught his eye was the boy's look of pure happiness and contentment. "What went through my mind at that instant was, 'As far as he's concerned, life doesn't get any better.' He had no idea the kind of life and opportunity that we were handing to the Afghan people," said Gen. Buchanan. With missions still being flown in Iraq and Afghanistan, Gen. Buchanan explained his thoughts on the future of airpower operations in support of the on-going war effort. "First off, I think the importance of airpower will become more fully recognized. As we begin to withdraw and hand over the mission to the host nations, we will have a much smaller Coalition force presence," he said. At that level of presence, airpower's unique capabilities to have eyes on areas without troop presence, respond to troops in need, and re-supply troops that are widespread over the countryside will be recognized as the only feasible way to accomplish key missions, he said. "Today, airpower is critical; in the future it will be even more so. We are going to become even more precise and even more deliberate in the manner in which we apply force," said Gen. Buchanan. "We have two sovereign nations that we are partnered with. It will become even more important that we be very deliberate in discriminating the way we apply force in partnership with host nations. "In the last four years I watched the networking that has occurred in the theater," he continued. "From the days of the time-sensitive targeting in Afghanistan and Iraq, to what happens today -- we have gone from tens of minutes, to single minutes, enhancing our ability to respond to any threat." While Airmen must remain vigilant in our efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan, Gen. Buchanan said, deployed Air Force personnel will decrease as the host nations become more independent. "(Our forces) are reducing now. I say that from the entire Coalition's perspective. As the Iraqi and Afghan National Army begin to stand up and assume their role, (we) can begin to re-look at our requirements," he said. "As the fight redefines itself, that's when we'll see the airpower drop back. However, we will stay in the region for years to come. Our plan is to engage actively with the theater air forces - the allies who have stood by us - and continue to partner with our allied air forces." After a long Air Force career, the general plans to take it easy and temporarily move to Washington D.C. while he figures out what he will do next. Mostly, he wants to spend a lot of time with his wife, Sharon. "First off, I'm going to catch up on some sleep," he said with a laugh. "I'm going to spend time with my lovely wife who has been a wonderful, supportive wife throughout my entire career, especially the last four years. She's never complained about me being away so much. I looking forward to us spending time together. "After we rest up, we'll find something to do. As Sharon puts it, she 'married me for better or for worse, not for lunch.' That means I'm going to have to find a reason to get out of the house each day and go to work, but I don't know what that's going to be yet. "I've established two ground rules for the next phase of our life," he continued. "First, at the end of the day, I will be able to look in the mirror and feel good about what I'm doing. The other (rule) is I want to be in control of my life to the degree that I can come home every night, if that's what I choose to do. I have been gone so much … away from my wife. I want us to be able to have dinner and then take a quiet walk together."