Civic Leaders learn about Total Force mission during tour

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Steve Lewis
  • 459th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md, --  Honorary commanders and civic leaders from Joint Base Andrews, Md. took to the skies aboard a KC-135 Stratotanker for a tour of Joint Base Charleston, S.C., Sept. 20-21, 2011.

The Civic Leader Tour was sponsored by the Reserve 459th Air Refueling Wing, who coordinated with both the active-duty 11th Wing and the 89th wing at Joint Base Andrews. The 459th ARW also partnered with the 315th Airlift Wing at Joint Base Charleston to develop a tour and location schedule for the civic leaders.

After arriving at Joint Base Charleston, the civic leaders were met by base senior leaders and proceeded to visit numerous facilities and aircraft. During the tour, civic leaders were briefed on the Total Force concept at the base and how Reserve and active-duty forces work together to accomplish missions.

Part of the tour included a static display of a C-17 Globemaster III and how servicemembers wounded are cared for aboard the aircraft enroute to hospitals. Other facility visits included a tour of the 437th Aerial Port Squadron and the 637th Civil Engineering Squadron Explosive Ordinance Disposal section.

Col. Kenneth R. Rizer, commander of Joint Base Andrews and the 11th Wing, and Col. Russell A. Muncy, 459th ARW commander, accompanied the civic leaders on the tour. Colonel Rizer said the tour displayed how well the organizations, like the 459th ARW, worked together to coordinate the visit to Joint Base Charleston.

"I think the trip was a great opportunity to take our civic leaders to another joint base and give them an opportunity to learn even more about the Air Force," said Colonel Rizer. "We have fantastic honorary commanders and civic leaders at Joint Base Andrews who are engaged in the base and everything we do here."

Besides learning more about Total Force, the civic leaders also had the opportunity to network with community officials from Charleston who work closely with organizations on the base. Peter Wertimer was one of many community officials who met with the civic leaders. He is a Charleston Chamber of Military Policy council chairman

"We are very fortunate to have this relationship with the Air Force here," Mr. Wertimer said. "The military has been a part of our community for so long that there really is no longer an 'us and them'."

The civic leaders returned to Joint Base Andrews with a better knowledge of the Total Force concept. Meeting with community officials like Mr. Wertimer also provided the civic leaders with more ideas on how the community can get more involved with the organizations at Joint Base Andrews.

"The tour to Charleston enabled our civic leaders to bring new ideas and best pratices back to Joint Base Andrews, which will hopefully help enhance local community invovlement with the installation," Colonel Muncy said.

Civic leaders like Tim Barr, who manages a local office with Bryant Engineers, now have a better understanding of how their organizations can interact with the Air Force and Joint Base Andrews leaders.

"This tour introduced me to so many additional areas that the Air Force takes part in. From a stand point of an Honorary Commander, tours like this show us how we can work better with the Air Force and interface with its personnel," Mr. Barr said.