Three come home

Brigadier General John Fobian (left), 433rd Airlift Wing Commander, is welcomed home by his wife, Kim, and members of the Alamo Wing on May 2, 2007. Tech. Sgt. Raffael Dickerson (right) and Maj. Mike Nelson, also from the 433rd AW, are also greeted by family on thier arrival. General Fobian served as the Director of Mobility Forces, Major Nelson served as General Fobian's executive officer and Sergeant Dickerson as his administrative assistant during thier deployment to the Combined Air Operations Center in Southwest Asia. (U.S. Air Force Photo/ Master Sgt. Collen McGee)

Meet the media

Brigadier General John Fobian, 433rd Airlift Wing Commander, was interviewed by Ms. Lara Solt from the Dallas Morning News and Mr. Marc Schanz from Air Force Magazine about his deployed role as the Director of Mobility Forces. Ms. Solt and Mr. Schanz met with General Fobian at his deployed location in Southwest Asia, about one week before the general returned from his 4-month deployment. (U.S. Air Force Photo/Master Sgt. Collen McGee)

Commander, staff home from deployment

Published May 15, 2007
By Master Sgt. Collen McGee
433rd Airlift Wing

L -- Brigadier General John Fobian, 433rd Airlift Wing Commander, Maj. Mike Nelson and Tech. Sgt. Raffaele Dickerson are home from their deployed location in Southwest Asia.
General Fobian and his staff members spent four months managing the air mobility forces for the U.S. Central Command Area of Responsibility.
The CENTCOM AOR consists of operations in Afghanistan, Iraq and the Horn of Africa and the surrounding nations. As director of Mobility Forces, General Fobian was instrumental in making sure the airlift assets within the theater were employed in the best possible way. Working with active-duty and Reserve components from all the services and service representatives from coalition partner nations, airlift capabilities are managed to make sure assests and supplies arrive when and where they are needed.
All three will have time to reassimilate into a non-deployed lifestyle. For Major Nelson, that included an authentic Tex-Mex meal.
"They had Mexican food but it wasn't the real thing, nothing like here," said Major Nelson.
For sergeant Dickerson, he had just a few days to prepare for his wedding to Master Sgt. Theresa Cauley. Sergeant Cauley retired from the Reserve on May 5 and became a military spouse later that evening when she and Sergeant Dickerson were married.
Several retirement ceremonies, a command assumption in the Operations Group and a few documents needing his signature occupied General Fobian's first few days back but he is also scheduled for some reconstitution time. All three are scheduled time off until after Memorial Day to reconnect with family before they are back at the Alamo Wing full time.
Currently, about 50 Alamo Wing members are deployed outside of the Continental U.S. in support of GWOT. More than 100 are also serving on active duty supporting various missions across the country.