107th Prepares for Deployment under New Air Force Model

NIAGARA FALLS N.Y. – 54 New York Air National Guard Airmen assigned to the 107th Attack Wing prepare for deployment to various locations between the Middle East and Africa for a six-month rotation. Service members will be split between the locations and commands, and anticipated to depart for theatre throughout the end of September and early October of 2023.

This deployment is the first activation under the new Air Force Force Generation deployment model, known as AFFORGEN, announced in August 2021.

In the past, individual members of the wing would be mobilized and deployed to fill key roles overseas, explained Lt. Col. Lindsay Doak, who will serve as the Logistics and Engineering Director while deployed.

Under AFFORGEN, instead of individual Airmen selected to fulfill duty lines across the country, entire wings are selected to fulfill a variety of mission requirements. This new model was designed to improve sustainable readiness toward future missions and balance current availability, modernization and risk, according to the Air Force AFFORGEN announcement.

“This is our first cycle under AFFORGEN, which changes the way the Air Force presents and generates forces using Agile Combat Employment,” Doak said. “It’s what we’ve been gearing our training toward.”

For some deployers, this will be a first-time experience.

“I’m excited and looking forward to this deployment,” said Tech. Sgt. Andrew Kopec, a Client Systems Technician. “Although, I’m even more looking forward to returning home and giving my wife and daughter a huge hug.”

Other wing members are more familiar with the rigors of a deployment.

“I’m looking forward to being a part of the team to put our training into motion, and better yet, to be able to do so with several members of our wing,” agreed Doak, who is also preparing for the deployment. “This is a really exciting time to deploy!”

“This will be my second federal mobilization, it’s a little bittersweet”, said Staff Sgt. Kevin Au with the wing’s Civil Engineering Squadron. “The biggest challenge is putting your personal life, family, and civilian career on pause, but it’s also exciting traveling to places I’d otherwise never see and getting to use my training in theatre.”

“Every day I am constantly impressed and inspired by the hard work and dedication of our Airmen,” said 107th Attack Wing Commander Col. Andrew Carlson. “They are what makes this wing truly special; I have no doubt they will continue their stellar commitment while down range.”

The Airmen are expected to be overseas by the end of the year and return home before mid-2024.