Director of Air National Guard swears in 15 Airmen to kick off Louisville air show

by Maj. Dale Greer
123rd Airlift Wing Public Affairs

4/14/2014 - LOUISVILLE, Ky -- Lt. Gen. Stanley E. Clarke III, director of the Air National Guard, swore in 15 members of the Kentucky Air National Guard during a live television coverage event kicking off Thunder Over Louisville here April 11.

These newly sworn in Airmen are the newest members of the Kentucky Air National Guard.

"It's pretty exciting to begin my career in the Kentucky Air National Guard by having a three-star general swear me in on live television," said Samantha Ruzanaka, a new recruit who will be joining the 123rd Security Forces Squadron here as a fire team member. "This a great unit, and that was a great way to begin serving my state and nation."

The event also was a great experience for Clarke, whose son-in-law, Jacob Reynolds, was among the Airmen being sworn in. Reynolds is joining the Kentucky Air Guard's 123rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron as a C-130 crew chief.

"This was my first Thunder, and I was just overwhelmed by the support of the local community," Clarke said. "I was extremely impressed by how engaged people are with the military, how much they love the Guard and, especially, this wing."

Clarke noted that his friend, retired Lt. Gen. John Conaway, a former Kentucky Air Guardsman who served as chief of the National Guard Bureau from 1990 to 1993, had been encouraging him to visit Louisville and the 123rd Airlift Wing for a long time.

"General Conaway's been telling me for years that this is a great unit," Clarke said, "Now I can go back and report to him that he is correct."

The annual show, one of the largest air show and fireworks displays in North America, is staged over the Ohio River and featured performances this year by the U.S. Navy Blue Angels, U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor Demonstration Team and 15 other acts, drew a crowd of more than 650,000 spectators.

Television coverage, broadcast in Louisville will be edited down for global rebroadcast on Armed Forces Network over the 4th of July weekend.