Local community members learn about Air Force

  • Published
  • By Lt. Col. David Thoreson
  • 944th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. --  The 944th Fighter Wing and the Arizona Air National Guard's 161st Air Refueling Wing showcased the Air Force's Total Force Integration to 31 local civic leaders Sept. 9 and 10 in Colorado Springs, Colo. 

The 161st ARW provided transportation to the group via a KC-135. In route to Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., two F-16s from the New Mexico Air National Guard were refueled by the tanker. The civic leaders had a unique opportunity to view the refueling from the boom pod. 

Upon arrival in Colorado Springs, the group was given a briefing about NORAD and U.S. Northern Command. The U.S. Air Force Reserve's 302nd Airlift Wing also presented their mission brief, followed by a tour of one of the wing's multi-mission capable C-130 transport planes. Crew members and pilots explained the fire suppression capability of the C-130, including their missions to put out fires in Arizona and the rest of the southwest United States. 

"I thought I had a good idea of what our Guard and Reserve teams did; I was wrong," said Ronnie Collins, Director of Sales and Marketing at the Wigwam Resort and Spa. "My eyes were opened to things that I am grateful I was able to see and experience. What these men and women in the Reserve and Guard stand for and their sacrifices are no less than amazing." 

One of the messages that kept repeating itself throughout the trip was the uniqueness of Guard and Reserve personnel who, in addition to their military duty, also have a civilian job that they must balance. 

"(Reservists and Guardsmen) are called upon, at a moment's notice, and have to immediately transition from husband, wife, mother, or father to a frontline Airman, tasked with protecting our freedom," Mr. Collins said. "My life has changed forever thanks for what I was able to experience and I will never look at a member of the Armed Services the same." 

An evening banquet was also part of the civic leaders' experience in Colorado Springs. Vince Rusinak, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel and Chairman of the Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce Military Affairs Committee, was the speaker for the evening. Mr. Rusinak provided insight on the myriad of relationships between a military base and its neighboring communities that extend far beyond economic impact. 

For Scott Essex, State Chairman of the Arizona Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, the trip heightened appreciation of the vast missions of the military worldwide. 

"I'm constantly amazed at how the professionalism, enthusiasm and personal commitment of the military members of the units we visited," Mr. Essex said. "I have a renewed appreciation for the high quality people we have serving in the military." 

The next day, the civic leaders toured the United States Air Force Academy. Upon arrival, the group was taken to the airfield to learn about the Academy's soaring and parachute teams. 

The Academy's superintendent, Lt. Gen. John Regni, described the concept of developing the "whole person" in cadets by building character through classroom and airmanship instruction. In addition to their academic loads of 18 to 21 credit hours each semester, cadets also engage in military training and intramural or intercollegiate athletics. 

"More than anything else, and as cool as the flying aspect was, the impression most engrained is that our young generation on display at the Academy, can be completely trusted," said Ken Quartermain, president of Quartermain Group, a west valley land development firm. 

The group also toured the Air Force Academy Chapel and viewed the Cadet Wing Parade. Following the parade, the civic leaders joined the cadets for lunch in Mitchell Hall. 

One of the guests on the trip is an employer of a 944th Fighter Wing reservist. 

"One of the most tangible change resulting from this trip is that I am buying a larger American flag to display at my home," said Ed Hatfield, area manager for Rexel Electronic and Data.