Former Laughlin command chief brings Airmen home from Iraq

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Nathan L. Maysonet
  • 47th Flying Training Wing Public Affairs
LAUGHLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  As the final flight from Ali Air Base, Iraq, lifted off, so with it went the last contingent of America's Airmen in Iraq. The planes arrival home marks the end of America's 21 year commitment of continual air operations over Iraq's skies.

For one Airman on board, the return flight home also was the proud conclusion to the career of one of Laughlin's own.

"We are so glad to have Chief Hanning back here at Laughlin," said Col. Tom Murphy, 47th Flying Training Wing commander. "He has done some amazing things while he was deployed and chose to do so one last time before he retires."

Chief Master Sgt. Mike Hanning, former command chief of the 47th FTW, returned home to Del Rio, Texas, Dec. 21 with intentions of retiring after serving in Iraq as the command chief master sergeant for the 9th Air and Space Expeditionary Task Force-Iraq and Air Component Coordination Element-Iraq.

With him came the final 62 Airmen that were remaining in Iraq Dec. 18.

President Obama welcomed them home at Andrews AFB, Md., the smiles of everyone getting home for the holidays and his own journey back to Del Rio was a pleasing and interesting end to the mission, Hanning said.

"I'm thrilled we got all our Airmen out of Iraq," he said.

Hanning enlisted in the Air Force in March of 1981 as an air traffic controller and has served in a variety of roles over the years. Being no stranger to Iraq, Hanning served in the original Gulf War and stood ready in Turkey for the initial push into Iraq in 2003.

During his most recent deployment, Hanning acted as the senior U.S. Air Force enlisted representative in Iraq and represented the combined force's air component enlisted force to the commanding general, U.S. Forces-Iraq.

Here Hanning saw the many changes that the Air Force and its sister branches went through as the war progressed and the joint nature of the conflict grew.

"If anyone thinks we can do anything without the entire team, they are wrong, we can't do it alone," Hanning said.

At the start of the war eight years ago there was little understanding of the capabilities and assets each branch could bring to the table, he said. At the beginning, Soldiers were calling him sergeant major, but by the war's end, they knew him as chief.

At first, planning amongst senior leadership was done within each branch and the services coming together after their individual plans had been completed, said Hanning. Today the branches plan together and have a better understanding of how each operate.

That integration, Hanning said, has seen Navy platforms in the skies alongside Air Force planes and Army aircraft transporting Airmen.

"We understand each other," Hanning said. "Through growth and working together, the military is so much stronger."

For now Hanning, like many of his fellow Airmen, are home. His concerns now involve spending Christmas with his wife in Montana and the New Year in Del Rio with retirement around the corner.

"While his 30 year career and service to the Air Force will be missed, his patriotism is appreciated for everything he has done," Murphy said.