News United States Air Force
 AFCENT commander conducts first round of regional partner engagementsPublished Sept. 20, 2022
                        
                        By  Senior Airman Dominic Tyler
                        
                        
                        Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central)
                **AL UDEID AIR BASE, Qatar (AFNS) --**
                U.S. Air Force **Lt. Gen. Alexus G. Grynkewich**, **Ninth Air Force** (Air Forces Central) commander, recently traveled across the **U.S. Central Command** area of responsibility to meet with multiple U.S. embassy, coalition, regional, and U.S. military leaders.
These key leader engagements included visits with leaders from Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as well as various air bases within the U.S. CENTCOM AOR.U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Alexus G. Grynkewich, Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central) commander, stands for the U.S. National Anthem with leaders and representatives at the USAF 75th anniversary celebration at the U.S. Embassy in Amman, Jordan, Aug. 25, 2022.U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Alexus G. Grynkewich, Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central) commander, third from left, stands for the U.S. national anthem with leaders and representatives at the U.S. Air Force’s 75th Anniversary celebration at the U.S. Embassy in Amman, Jordan, Aug. 25, 2022. The ceremony included a formation flyover led by the Royal Jordanian Air Force which underscores the strength of the U.S.-Jordanian security partnership and the importance of partner nation coordination and interoperability. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Dominic Tyler)
            
            
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    U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Alexus G. Grynkewich, Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central) commander, recently visited Royal Saudi Air Force key leaders to include Maj. Gen. Mohsen bin Saeed Al-Zahrani, Prince Sultan Air Base commander.U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Alexus G. Grynkewich, Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central) commander, recently visited Royal Saudi Air Force key leaders to include Maj. Gen. Mohsen bin Saeed Al-Zahrani, Prince Sultan Air Base commander. During the visit, Grynkewich viewed static displays, participated in an official gift exchange and discussed the cohesive relationship between the U.S. and Royal Saudi Air Force. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Dominic Tyler)
            
            
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    U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Alexus G. Grynkewich, center, Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central) commander, is briefed on a theater-level air defense system by Italian Air Force members at IAF base camp on Ali Al Salem Air Base, Kuwait, Aug. 18, 2022.U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Alexus G. Grynkewich, center, Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central) commander, is briefed on a theater-level air defense system by Italian Air Force members at IAF base camp on Ali Al Salem Air Base, Kuwait, Aug. 18, 2022. During the visit, Grynkewich met with Italian military members to discuss the importance of partner nation integration within the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Dominic Tyler)
            
            
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“My objective during these visits is to listen to the concerns of our allies and embassy leaders,” Grynkewich said. “I want to find where the opportunities lie for us [AFCENT] to improve our interoperability and innovate ways for sharing new strategies, technological advancements and tactical information quickly and securely.”
During his first round of engagements in the Middle East, the new AFCENT commander learned first-hand the individual challenges being faced by regional partners.
“We are committed to regional stability, whether that means deterring Iran, countering violent extremist organizations or ensuring that we can compete with our competitors on a global scale,” Grynkewich said. “I couldn’t be more proud to be serving alongside service members from so many different nations as we work together to ensure the safety and security of this critical region.”
Grynkewich also met with U.S. military leaders at the various air expeditionary wings across the AOR including the 332nd AEW in Southwest Asia, the 378th AEW at Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia, and the 386th AEW at Ali Al Salem Air Base, Kuwait. These visits allowed for the synchronization of priorities and an open discussion to find innovative ways to overcome any barriers facing the AEWs to allow for successful integration with partners across the AOR.
“We can’t do it alone. Building relationships within our force and with our allies and partners gives us a strategic advantage over our adversaries,” Grynkewich said. “It all comes down to sharing information and having these open discussions. If we can work through challenges together, we can provide a collectively capable presence that ensures continued safety and security within the U.S. CENTCOM area of responsibility.”
Grynkewich continued engagements with partner nations at the U.S. Air Force-hosted **International Air Chiefs Conference** in Washington, D.C. Sept. 15-17, following his AOR trip. The conference illustrated the Air Force’s ongoing efforts to strengthen relationships with allies and partners through meaningful conversation and information exchange. The IACC was attended by air chiefs from 49 air forces, including air chiefs from Bahrain, Israel, Jordan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and United Arab Emirates.LR 



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