BISHKEK. July 22 (Interfax-AVN) - A new commander has been appointed for the 376th Air Expeditionary Wing, which runs the air base of the anti-terrorist coalition at Manas airport near Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan's capital, the base press service said on Tuesday.
The base, which opened in winter 2001 as part of Operation Enduring Freedom, is used for combat missions, air refueling and airlifts.
The new commander, Colonel Stephen Kelly, has been given a one-year appointment, while the previous six commanders did stints of two to six months.
The press service told Interfax the duration of Kelly's tour means the base's status is not decreasing.
Brigadier General Robert Elder, vice commander of the Ninth Aerospace Expeditionary Task Force of the U.S. Air Force Central Command, arrived from Qatar to take part in the appointment ceremony.
The press service quoted Elder as saying that 4,000 pounds of cargo and 8,000 passengers have been carried to Afghanistan from the base in 1.5 years of its existence, and the base has become a key support element for U.S. forces in Afghanistan.
Before his new appointment, Kelly led the 90,000 military and civilian personnel of the U.S. Air Force's Central Command.
About 1,600 troops are deployed at the base. They represent the United States, the Netherlands, Denmark, Italy, New Zealand and South Korea, countries that are coalition members. There are 215 tents on the base, which occupies an area of about 200 acres.
Several Danish and Dutch F-16 fighters, U.S. C-130 transports and KC-135 aerial tankers, and Italian C-130J transports are deployed at the base.