Skip to main content (Press Enter).
 News
    
        Photos

    Week in Photos

    Air Force TV

    Commentaries

    Features

    Art

    About Us
    
        Air Force Senior Leaders
    
        SECAF

    CSAF

    CMSAF

    Biographies

    Fact Sheets

    SECAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library
    
        CSAF Leadership Library 2022

    CSAF Leadership Library 2021

    CSAF Reading List Pre-2020 Archive
    
        2018 CSAF Reading List

    2017 CSAF Reading List

    2016 CSAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library 2023

    CMSAF Leadership Library

    50 Years of the CMSAF

    Adjunct Professors

    Air Force Strategic Documents

    Arctic Strategy

    Empowered Airmen

    State Licensure Portability

    Careers

    AF Federal Advisory Committees

    AF 75th Anniversary

    Policy Updates

    AF Content Management

    Contact Us

    AF Sites
    
        Site RegistrationU.S. Air Force LogoAir Force

        Policy UpdatesNewsroomReoptimizationBIOGRAPHIESAF Senior Leaders      Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James conducts an all-call with base personnel and members of the local community May 17, 2016, at Cannon Air Force Base, N.M. James toured the wing to gain a deeper understanding of the Air Force Special Operations Command mission, and Cannon’s role in providing Special Operations Forces to the warfighter. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Alexx Pons)James gains Special Ops insight at Cannon
                        
                        
                        Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James conducts an all call with base personnel and members of the local community May 17, 2016, at Cannon Air Force Base, N.M. James toured the 27th Special Operations Wing to gain a deeper understanding of the Air Force Special Operations Command mission, and Cannon’s role in providing special operations forces to the warfighter. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Alexx Pons)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res
        


        Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James prepares to board a CV-22 Osprey for an aerial tour of Melrose Air Force Range May 17, 2016, over Melrose, N.M. James toured the wing to gain a deeper understanding of the Air Force Special Operations Command mission, and Cannon’s role in providing Special Operations Forces to the warfighter. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Chip Slack)James gains Special Ops insight at Cannon
                        
                        
                        Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James prepares to board a CV-22 Osprey for an aerial tour of Melrose Air Force Range May 17, 2016, over Melrose, N.M. James toured the 27th Special Operations Wing to gain a deeper understanding of the Air Force Special Operations Command mission, and Cannon’s role in providing special operations forces to the warfighter. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Chip Slack)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res
        


        Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James looks out the rear of a CV-22 Osprey during an aerial tour of Melrose Air Force Range May 17, 2016, over Melrose, N.M. James toured the wing to gain a deeper understanding of the Air Force Special Operations Command mission, and Cannon’s role in providing Special Operations Forces to the warfighter. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Chip Slack)James gains Special Ops insight at Cannon
                        
                        
                        Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James looks out the rear of a CV-22 Osprey during an aerial tour of Melrose Air Force Range on May 17, 2016, over Melrose, N.M. James toured the 27th Special Operations Wing to gain a deeper understanding of the Air Force Special Operations Command mission, and Cannon’s role in providing special operations forces to the warfighter. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Chip Slack)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res

James gains special ops insight at CannonPublished May 18, 2016
                    
                    By Staff Sgt. Alexx Pons
                    
                    
                    27th Special Operations Wing Public Affairs
            **CANNON AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. (AFNS) --**The 27th Special Operations Wing hosted Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James on May 17 and provided her with a deeper understanding of the Air Force Special Operations Command mission, and Cannon’s role in providing special operations forces to the warfighter.
James is the 23rd Secretary of the Air Force and is responsible for the affairs of the Department of the Air Force, including the organizing, training, equipping and providing for the welfare of its nearly 660,000 active-duty, Guard, Reserve and civilian Airmen and their families. She also oversees the Air Force's annual budget of more than $139 billion. Collectively, she has more than 30 years of senior homeland and national security experience in the federal government and the private sector.
During her visit, James received a tour of the wing’s Remotely Piloted Aircraft Operations Center and a RPA mission brief; and met with wing and tenant unit leadership to discuss worldwide mission support, deployment operations and key challenges facing today’s Air Force, air commandos and their families. She also had a one-on-one conversation with the sexual assault response coordinator to understand the status and health of Cannon’s Sexual Assault Prevention and Response program, conducted an all call with base personnel and members of the local community, and sat with a member of the public affairs team to film an episode of ‘Between Two Tumbleweeds.’ 
"I want to give all of you my deepest thanks and appreciation for the incredible work you do each and every day for your country," James said. "The missions you conduct out of this wing are vitally important to our Air Force and this nation.
"Cannon’s air commandos are fully equipped with the resources and training they need to own the fight forward," she continued. "From precision air strikes to personnel recover, these air and ground SOF team members are consistently perfecting skills needed to enable operations around the globe."
James also received an aerial tour of Melrose Air Force Range, and witnessed firsthand the expansive capabilities the 27th SOW boasts to augment training of its special operations forces.
Due to adverse weather, James was not able to complete her scheduled tandem jump with special tactics members of the 24th Special Operations Wing. 
"We were proud to show Secretary James how AFSOC trains for mission success, and honored she trusts Airmen regardless of the risks,” said Col. James Johnson, the 720th Special Tactics Group commander and a special tactics officer. 
“Unfortunately we cannot control the weather, but she was able to experience how special tactics trains to constantly maintain their operational edge," he said. "It is easy to say you care about your Airmen, but she walked the walk and literally put her life in our hands to demonstrate how much she trusts her Airmen’s professionalism."
James went on to say "Melrose provides a very unique training environment for air commandos to gain the experience, both in the air and on the ground, they need to execute worldwide operations. It is because of capabilities like Melrose, and the professionalism, competence and perseverance of these air commandos that Cannon and AFSOC are able to conduct their vitally important mission and enable SOF operations.
"... I am continuously amazed by the caliber of Airmen we have working around the globe -- Cannon is no exception," she added. "The Airmen here are remarkable and the efforts out of this wing are instrumental to national security. This truly is a premier installation and Cannon’s air commandos are absolutely the tip of the spear."Cannon AFB 



AFSOC 



special ops 



SecAF 



visit

Related Links
        DEBORAH LEE JAMES
                                June 18, 2015
                                23rd Secretary of the Air Force Featured News
        Senior Leader Priorities
                SecAF Kendall visits Bangor ANG Base
                    
                    Vice President Harris congratulates USAFA Class of ‘24
                    
                    Senate confirms Melissa Dalton as next Under Secretary of the Air Force
                    
                    ‘One Team, One Fight’: SecAF visits Keesler AFB
                    
                    SecAF Kendall experiences VISTA of future flight test at Edwards AFBInnovation
                AFSFC reaches final phase of fielding Model Defender gear
                    
                    Around the Air Force: PCS Allowances, Air Task Forces, All-Volunteer Force
                    
                    AFIMSC focuses I-WEPTAC topics on GPC solutions
                    
                    Optimizing AI, Air University hosts Artificial Intelligence Symposium
                    
                    AFIMSC tools deliver data-driven solutions across DAFMAJCOM News
                AFMC to expand AcqDemo workforce
                    
                    AFMC empowers small businesses for Air Force reoptimization
                    
                    Acquisition Instructor Course Class 25A open for nominations
                    
                    Air Guard leaders host 2024 Wing Leader Conference
                    
                    Referral bonuses aim to help fill mission-critical vacancies
 Quick Links
AccessibilityContact UsEqual OpportunityFOIA | Privacy | Section 508Information QualityInspector GeneralJAG Court-Martial DocketLink DisclaimerNo FEAR ActOpen GovernmentOSI Tip LinePlain LanguageQuestionsResilienceRSSSite MapVeterans Crisis LineCareers
Join the Air ForceAir Force BenefitsAir Force CareersAir Force ReserveAir National GuardCivilian ServiceConnect
            Get Social with Us
            
            Official United States Air Force Website
    Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil