LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, ARIZ. --
The 944th Fighter Wing gave25 prominent Arizona business men and women and Luke Air Force Base honorary commanders an adventure they will not soon forget.
The two day civic leader tour to Fort Worth, Texas was hosted by Col. Kurt Gallegos, 944th Fighter Wing Commander, and allowed the group an inside look at the different units in the Air Force Reserve.
"It was a true honor and privilege to be on the Civic Leader Tour 2014 as a representative of both the Arizona business sector and Luke Air Force Base," said Mr. John Echeverri, EJ Engineering Group Owner and 944th Fighter Wing Honorary Commander. "I absolutely loved it. I found it very informative and fun."
The first day started with a mission brief at the 944th Fighter Wing detailing the tour events. After a group photo everyone loaded the KC-135 and headed for the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base. For most of the members on the trip, this was a first time experience. During the flight, everyone witnessed mid-air refuelings with Luke AFB F-16 aircraft and the operations inside the cockpit of the KC-135.
Upon arrival, the group was greeted by Col. John Breazeale, 301st Fighter Wing Commander, and given a brief on their mission, structure and the layout of the NAS JRB. Other stops included the73rd Ariel Port Squadron and a brief by Tech. Sgt. Kayla Leabo, 301st Maintenance Group, on the operational specifics of maintaining the F-16.
The tour then proceeded to the 10th Air Force where Col. William Lyons, 10th Air Force Vice Commander, gave a brief on the breakdown of the many units and responsibilities of 10th Air Force. Visiting the 10th Air Force Headquarters allowed the participants to gain new insight into where the 944th FW fits into the big picture and what the foreseeable plans were for the Wing.
The final stop at NAS JRB was a visit to the 457th Fighter Squadron and a short brief on their mission. To end the day, the Arizona team met with local Ft Worth civic leaders and military members for dinner.
The second day, everyone loaded onto a bus enroute to the Lockheed Martin Plant for a tour of the facility where they witnessed first-hand the process of the assembly of the F-35.
"I thought the trip was very well organized and while there were countless opportunities for things to go astray, it all worked like clockwork. I guess that is the hallmark of the 944th FW in action," stated Mark Ellis, 1 to 1 Ventures Managing Partner and 944th FW Honorary Commander. "I was impressed that the 944th FW and Col. Gallegos could pull off such a trip with so many diverse elements from so many parts of the armed services."
According to Gallegos, "The Civic Leader Tour 2014 turned out better than I expected and I think everyone had a good time. I hope our honorary commander's learned a little more about the Reserves and how important we are to the Air Force. We will take what we've learned about the trip and make the next one, even better."