Air National Guard director visits Cal Guard units

by Capt. Jason Sanchez
California Air National Guard Public Affairs

Feb. 15, 2023

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Lt. Gen. Michael Loh, Director of the Air National Guard, and his wife, Dianne, visited three California Air National Guard wings Feb. 3-5, to meet with Citizen Airmen of all ranks, thank them in person for their service, and emphasize the ANG's top priorities.

Over the three days, Loh visited the 129th Rescue Wing at the Moffett ANG Base near Mountain View, the 144th Fighter Wing at the Fresno ANG Base, and units of the 195th Wing at Vandenberg Space Force Base near Lompoc. Loh began each of his visits by meeting with the wing commander and then holding an “all call” to speak directly to Airmen.

“It’s great to come out to the California Air National Guard,” Loh said “Meeting the men and women who perform the mission is absolutely essential.”

During his visits, he emphasized his top five priorities for the ANG: Ready Airmen-Ready Forces, Partnerships, People, Policy, and Force Structure while also showing his pride and gratitude to the Airmen.

“You bring national defense to the homeland,” Loh said. “You bring national defense to your local community. Nobody does that better.”

Furthermore, Loh recognized each wing for their contributions and personalized his message to reflect the specific mission and challenges of each wing.

At the 129th Rescue Wing, which flies HC-130J Combat King II aircraft and HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters, Loh thanked the Airmen for their domestic operations and for the work “they have done to save lives,” especially while confronting wildfires, floods, and the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the 144th Fighter Wing, which flies F-15C Eagle fighter jets, Loh spoke about the ongoing war in Ukraine, and he praised the wing for training with Ukrainian pilots as a part of National Guard Bureau’s State Partnership Program.

“They are in combat operations… and nobody has air superiority, nobody,” he said. “That’s a direct result of this organization.”

He also stated the importance of replacing aging F-15Cs throughout the ANG, specifically identifying the F-15EX and the F-35A as their future replacements.

“The number one priority for the Air National Guard is recapitalization,” Loh said. “The Secretary of the Air Force knows it, the Chief of Staff of the Air Force knows it, and General Hokanson, Chief of the National Guard Bureau, knows it.”

At the 195th Wing, Loh met with the 148th Space Operations Squadron and 216th Space Control Squadron where he discussed his goals to improve organizational structure and increase retention in addition to emphasizing the ANG priorities.

Loh’s main goals while visiting the wings in California were to inspire Airmen and to thank them in person for their contributions to the U.S. Air Force and the ANG.

During each of the visits, Loh met with Airmen and toured each wing to learn more about their specific operations and needs. He took time to recognize several top performers with coins at each base as well, often pointing out key details of his coin and their meanings.

“Thank you for putting on the uniform,” he said. “Thank you for making a difference for America. Thank you for delivering air power each and every day.”

Mrs. Loh separately met with resiliency and support services staffs at each base during the visits while Lt. Gen. Loh toured operational units. She sat down and talked with chaplains, directors of psychological support, military and family readiness office program managers, sexual assault response coordinators, and additional staff members whose jobs are to care for Airmen and their families. They shared the successes of their programs and discussed challenges they faced.

Mrs. Loh reconvened with her husband at lunch where they both continued their candid discussions with Airmen and thanked them for their service.

As they visit ANG bases across the country, the pair continue to share best practices and work to solve challenges facing today’s Airmen to better accomplish the mission.