President Obama's Milwaukee visit begins, ends at Wisconsin Air Guard base

By Air National Guard 2nd Lt. Nathan Wallin
Wisconsin National Guard

MILWAUKEE -- The Wisconsin Air National Guard's 128th Air Refueling Wing was part of a collaborative effort between government, law enforcement and military agencies supporting President Barack Obama's visit here Wednesday.

For three specific 128th Airmen - Air Force Col. Mike Mayo, 128th Vice Wing Commander; Air Force Senior Airman Justin Gruber, a KC-135R Stratotanker crew chief and Air Force Airman 1st Class Darla Tokarski, a cargo specialist for the 128th's Small Air Terminal - the day was particularly memorable. Each in their own way had direct contact with either the president or Air Force One.

Mayo, a 128th KC-135 Stratotanker command pilot and 25-year Air Force veteran, was struck by how apprehensive he didn't feel, and was perfectly comfortable when he greeted the president.

"It was a very comfortable atmosphere," Mayo said.

The president shook Mayo's hand twice, gave him his personal presidential coin and thanked Mayo for his service to our country. Looking back, Mayo said that walking up to Air Force One and greeting the president of the United States was special.

"It's one of those things [that are] kind of surreal," he said. "But it's an honor."

While Mayo's task was to welcome the president, Gruber was tasked to "chock" Air Force One - that is, place large and long blocks at the front and back of the aircraft's front wheel to keep the aircraft in place while it's parked on the ramp.

Gruber, who enlisted in the Wisconsin Air Guard in 2007, was mildly awestruck by the enormity of Air Force One and a presidential visit, yet he remained focused on doing his job well.

"Chocking an aircraft is chocking an aircraft. It's not a hard task, but you feel like you have to perform more," he said.

However, Gruber was acutely aware of the extra security presence and media attention. "I looked behind me and there's about 10 cameras, all eyes are looking at you," he said.

This wasn't the first time Gruber had chocked Air Force One, or interacted with the president - he'd twice previously met the president and shook his hand on both occasions - the significance of the day's events were not lost on the 24-year-old Airman.

"Looking out at that plane, and what it stands for, that's the real neat part about it," he said.

Tokarski has been in the Air Guard a mere 14 months and she's only been fully trained and certified on her job duties for seven months. Nonetheless, she was deemed by her supervisors to drive the stair truck to Air Force One.

Driving the stair truck at a slow pace towards the aircraft, she didn't take her eyes off the Air Force One staffer motioning to her with hand signals.

"They told me not to look at the plane, just keep your eyes on the crew chief," she said.

Once Tokarski had placed the stair truck next to Air Force One and she had the vehicle in position, only then did she allow herself a brief glimpse at the enormous Boeing 747 aircraft only a few feet away.

As she looked upwards at the jet and saw the oversized presidential seal on the side of the fuselage, she heard and felt a "tap-tap-tap-tap" above her head. A secret service agent at her side next to the stair truck leaned in and told her, "He's at your six."

"I looked in the mirror and, sure enough, he was right there," Tokarski said. "Most people don't get that close to the president. Had they told me, when I met with the recruiter, that I'd be doing this, it's too good to be true.

"It was a great day," she said.