by Cotton Puryear
Virginia National Guard
3/1/2013 - VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. -- The
Virginia Beach-based 203rd RED HORSE Squadron plans to hold a brief
ceremony to lay an honor wreath March 3, 2013, at 3 p.m. at Camp
Pendleton in Virginia Beach to honor the 18 unit members and three
Florida Army National Guard aviators who were killed in a military
transport crash 12 years ago.
The Virginia Guard engineers and three Florida aviators from Detachment
I, Company H, 171st Aviation Battalion, were killed on March 3, 2001, as
the 203rd members were returning home after completing a two-week
military construction project at Hurlburt Field, Fla. The C-23 Sherpa
they were flying in crashed in a cotton field near Unadilla, Ga.
The C-23 crash was the worst peacetime aviation disaster in the history
of the National Guard, and the worst loss of life in the Virginia
National Guard since World War II.
The ceremony is scheduled to take place at the memorial built to the
fallen Airmen. The memorial takes the form of a reflection or meditation
garden complete with the unit's mascot: a life-size, rearing red horse.
The 30,000-square-foot memorial also includes a large bronze Minuteman
statue rising up from a clear pool in front of a waterfall, and a second
red horse. This horse kneels in front of a memorial made from a
7,000-pound, black granite boulder with the names of the 21 National
Guard men etched into its one polished surface.
Encircling the border of the memorial is a winding path embracing 22
Bradford pear trees, and a plaque at the base of each tree honors each
one of the Guardsmen. The 22nd tree bears a plaque honoring those who
died during the terrorist acts of Sept. 11, which took place four days
before the groundbreaking of the 203d's memorial on Sept. 15, 2001.
The memorial incorporates ideas from several 203rd members and used a
range of the construction skills found in RED HORSE units. Members of
the 203rd, assisted by RED HORSE units from Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida,
Washington, Montana and Texas, built most of the memorial.
RED HORSE stands for Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair
Squadron Engineers, and the unit provides a highly mobile civil
engineering response force to support contingency operations worldwide.
203rd RED HORSE Airmen lost in the crash:
- Master Sgt. James Beninati of Virginia Beach, Va.
- Staff Sgt. Paul Blancato of Norfolk, Va.
- Tech. Sgt. Ernest Blawas of Virginia Beach, Va.
- Staff Sgt. Andrew H. Bridges of Chesapeake, Va.
- Master Sgt. Eric Bulman of Virginia Beach, Va.
- Staff Sgt. Paul Cramer of Norfolk, Va.
- Tech. Sgt. Michael East of Parksley, Va.
- Staff Sgt. Ronald Elkin of Norfolk, Va.
- Sgt. James Ferguson of Newport News, Va.
- Staff Sgt. Randy Johnson of Emporia, Va.
- Senior Airman Mathew Kidd of Hampton, Va.
- Master Sgt. Michael Lane of Moyock, Va.
- Tech. Sgt. Edwin Richardson of Virginia Beach, Va.
- Tech. Sgt. Dean Shelby of Virginia Beach, Va.
- Staff Sgt. John Sincavage of Chesapeake, Va.
- Staff Sgt. Gregory Skurupey of Gloucester, Va.
- Staff Sgt Richard Summerell of Franklin, Va.
- Maj. Frederick Watkins of Virginia Beach, Va.
Florida Army Guard Soldiers lost in the crash:
- CW4 Johnny W. Duce of Orange Park, Fla.
- CW2 Eric P. Larson of Land-O-Lakes, Fla.
- SSG Robert F. Ward Jr. of Lakeland, Fla.
by Senior Airman Duane Morgan
174th Attack Wing
3/3/2013 - Hancock Field Air National Guard Base, Syracuse, New York -- Tech.
Sgt. Brian Matthews, a member of the 174th Attack Wing's Communication
Squadron Quality Assurance team, along with his son helped rescue
neighbors trapped in a burning building February 13, 2013 in his
hometown of Clay, New York.
"It was around 9:30 p.m. and my wife and I were walking our dog when we
noticed a beeping sound," said Matthews. "We then realized it was a
smoke alarm and noticed smoke coming from the house across the street."
Matthews feared that all nine residents in the house were inside and
acted quickly in coming to their aid.
"I immediately turned to my wife and told her to call 911," said
Matthews. "I then ran to the house to knock on the door the warn
everyone to get out." While running toward the house Matthews noticed
some of the residents were hanging their heads out of the window to keep
from inhaling all the smoke coming from the house. "There was a mother
and her two kids on the second floor of the home and I told her they
were going to have to jump," said Matthews. "She told me she couldn't
jump and that was when I ran across the street to get my ladder."
On his way to getting his ladder Matthews yelled to his 15 year-old son
Nicolas to assist him. "By the time I got the ladder Nicolas was already
outside. He was barefoot with nothing but shorts on. He grabbed the
ladder from me and ran across the street."
"We then put the ladder up to the house and started bringing people down
from the window," said Matthews. The other six residents of the house
managed to make it out of the house unharmed.
"There were only three people in the house," said Matthews. "The others went out the back door."
"As soon as we got the last person down from the window flames started to shoot up," said Matthews.
Matthews has known the neighbors he helped rescue for over a year. One
of the residents rescued was a member of the swim team with his son.
Matthews believes that his military training played an important part in
helping him remain calm during his rescue effort. "With us being in
the military, it's in our nature to be alert at all times," said
Matthews. Matthews also believes the training he has received at the
174th made it easier for him to think on his feet.
His son, Nicolas, has also had some experience with saving the lives of
others. He once saved a friend who fell through the ice in the pond next
to their home.
Nicolas Matthews believes that if he and his dad had not been home, the
night would have turned out much different. "They probably wouldn't
have made it out," said Nicolas. "If they did it wouldn't have been
safely."
"I'm just glad that everyone is all good and healthy," said Brian Matthews. "I'm glad all nine people were not there."
When asked how he feels about his dad's rescue effort, Nicolas said it
made him feel proud. "I'm really proud of him," said Nicolas Matthews.
"He definitely acted fast."
by Staff Sgt. David Salanitri
Air Force Public Affairs Agency
3/4/2013 - WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- Air
Force senior leaders recently constructed a task force to develop the
best ways to bring the active, Reserve, and Guard closer together to
achieve the most capable force possible.
To meet the challenges of the future, the secretary and chief of staff
of the Air Force directed the stand-up of the Total Force Task Force, or
TF2, to develop strategic options on the appropriate total force
capabilities mix to meet current and future Air Force requirements.
"The results of this task force will inform our strategic planning and
programming for fiscal 2015 and beyond, and will also serve as a
resource to the congressionally-directed national commission on the
structure of the Air Force that will be examining total-force issues
later this year," said Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley at the
Air Force Association's Air Warfare Symposium & Technology
Exposition Feb. 22.
The commission will study the structure of the Air Force to determine
whether, and how, the structure should be modified to best fulfill
current and anticipated mission requirements for the Air Force in a
manner consistent with available resources.
The task force is led by senior leaders from the active-duty, Reserve
and Guard who will work under Lt. Gen. Mike Moeller, who is the deputy
chief of staff for Strategic Plans and Programs, Headquarters U.S. Air
Force, Washington, D.C., in coordination with Air National Guard and Air
Force Reserve leadership.
The results of their work will inform the Air Force's planning process
for fiscal 2015 and beyond. The expectation is for active, Reserve and
Guard components to learn from each other, while also looking into the
strengths and weaknesses of today's total force efforts.
"The determination of our leadership to break down barriers preventing
us from planning and advancing as a total force will drive this effort
to success," said Maj. Gen. Joe Balskus, who is the military assistant
to the deputy chief of staff for Strategic Plans and Programs. "The team
we have assembled from the three components and the extended team
members across Headquarters Air Force, the Air Force secretariat, Air
National Guard, and Air Force Reserve is incredibly impressive."
Over the past two decades, the Air Force has become a more integrated
force, both operationally and organizationally, across the total force.
As a result, senior leaders want to ensure the service is structured in a
way that ensures the service can achieve its strategic objectives going
forward.
"In view of this increased integration, as well as upcoming strategic
shifts driven by post-Afghanistan reconstitution and the new Defense
Strategic Guidance, the Air Force needs to undertake a comprehensive
review of total force requirements and develop a strategic plan to
ensure the Air Force correctly balances the strengths of each of the
components to sustain the capabilities required in the years ahead,"
Donley and Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III stated in a memorandum
about the task force.
Moeller said he is optimistic about the task force and the synergy it will generate within the planning community.
"Under the chief of staff and secretary's guidance," he said, "we are
taking the right steps to bring our Air Force together as one team in
order to collaboratively answer one of the most important questions we
face as a service, 'what is the most effective balance of capabilities
between the active duty, Guard and Reserve?' The task force is designed
to be open and transparent, and we will need the help of all
stakeholders to ensure success."
3/4/2013 - FORT GEORGE G. MEADE, Md. (AFNS) -- Staff
Sgt. Esther McGowin Blake has the distinction of being the "first woman
in the Air Force." She enlisted in the first minute of the first hour
of the first day regular Air Force duty was authorized for women on July
8, 1948.
Blake originally enlisted in March 1944, in Miami in the Army Air
Forces, served one year in the Alaskan division and was discharged in
November 1945. She reenlisted in April 1947 and was assigned to the
ground force but seized the first opportunity to return to the Army Air
Forces. Service in the nation's armed forces was nothing new for Mrs.
Blake.
She supported the war by working at the Miami Air Depot as a civilian
employee. Blake was a widow. She joined the Women's Army Corps when she
found out her eldest son, Lt. Julius Blake, was reported missing. He was
a B-17 Flying Fortress pilot out of England and had been shot down over
Belgium. Her other son, Lt. Tom Blake was serving in B-25 Mitchell
medium bombers in Italy -- he was also shot down at a later time.
At the time Blake was quoted in the Miami Herald as saying that her
reason for joining the WACs was the hope of helping free a soldier from
clerical work to fight, thus speeding the end of the war.
"If I can do this, "she said, "My efforts will be worthwhile."
During the months and years that followed, she saw both her sons return
from combat with only minor wounds and heavily decorated.
She was assigned to several bases throughout the United States and in
Alaska and the Yukon Territory near the Aleutians. She separated from
service briefly and return to her civilian job in Miami in the mid-40s;
however, she heeded a recall for women in service and returned to an
Army assignment at Fort McPherson near Atlanta.
It was during this assignment that the Air Force became a separate
branch of the service and women in the Air Force were authorized. She
remained active with the Air Force until 1954 when she separated and
went to work with the civil service at the Veterans Regional
Headquarters in Montgomery, Ala.
Mrs. Blake, the first woman in the Air Force, died Oct. 17, 1979. In
1987, the Air Force Senior NCO Academy at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.,
named one of their student dormitories in her honor.
3/4/2013 - BUCKLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- Officials
will realign and relocate some transactional work from the Air Force
Reserve Command to the Air Reserve Personnel Center March 4.
The Active Guard Reserve Management Office from AFRC will realign
functionally as part of the ARPC's Directorate of Personnel Assignments,
with a streamlined assignments business process.
This action is the first of several upcoming realignments in support of
the Program Action Directive 07-11 and Air Force's Three-In-One policy.
This new assignments business process consists of two teams - assignment
management and assignment processing. This is different from the
currently distributed workload which is divided by Air Force specialty
code.
The Assignment Management Branch will own AGR application processing,
vacancy management, nominations to the hiring authority and notification
of applicant selection and non-selection. They will also take all AGR
requests including management directed reassignment, also known as MDRs;
voluntary and involuntary curtailments; and AGR review board processes.
The Assignment Processing Branch will process all assignments actions
associated with new selections, MDRs, curtailments, ARB separation or
date of separation extensions, to include systems updates and orders
publishing.
AGR colonel assignment and ARB actions will still remain at AFRC.
Until a new venue is established, the AGR management Communities of
Practice, or CoP, will remain the one-stop shop for AGR-related
processes. Go to https://afkm.wpafb.af.mil/community/views/home.aspx?Filter=RC-DP-00-11 to view all information applicable to AGRs throughout the transition.
Through the transition, there will be an overlap on organization boxes
accepting AGR applications. Utilize the AGR advertisement to determine
which organization box to send your application.
Call the Total Force Service Center at 800-525-0102 for AGR assignment-specific inquiries.
by Capt. Peter Shinn
Officer Training School Student Squadron commander
3/4/2013 - MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. -- The
first and only female military training instructor in the Air National
Guard is also the first and only Air National Guard member to be named
the Air University Noncommissioned Officer of the Year.
Technical Sgt. Leslie Cummings is an MTI for the Academy of Military
Science, the Air Force Officer Training School commissioning program for
Air National Guard members.
"It's awesome, and I really appreciate it, but it's really about just
doing your job to the best of your ability and maximizing your
contribution to the team," Cummings said of winning the award for 2012.
"I'm very fortunate to work with such a great group of professionals."
AMS Commander Lt. Col. Reid Rasmussen described Cummings as a "top-notch
professional," and said he was not surprised to learn she won award.
"AMS and OTS are fortunate to have people like Leslie," Rasmussen said.
"I'm constantly amazed at not only her job performance but everything
she's done for Maxwell, as well."
Cummings' contributions to the Maxwell-Gunter community include founding
Airmen Against Drunk Driving, known locally as A2D2, which has
virtually eliminated drinking and driving incidents among military
personnel here. She also is a founding member of the Guard and Reserve
Network, or GARNET, an organization that enhances the skills and
civilian employment opportunities of Reserve component members.
The Air National Guard advisor to the commander and president of the Air
University praised Cummings as an "outstanding Citizen-Airmen" and a
premier example of the total force concept.
"Sergeant Cummings is quite simply one of the Guard's very best
leaders," said Col. Edward Vaughan, who is also the founder of GARNET.
"Her selection as AU's NCO of the year shows that she's one of the very
best leaders across the total force as well."
Cummings, who is currently serving on extended active duty, is a member
of the California Air National Guard's 146th Airlift Wing, located at
Channel Islands.
The wing's commander, Col. Paul Hargrove, congratulated Cummings on her achievement.
"Every member of the 146th Airlift Wing and I are proud of Leslie's
accomplishments," Hargrove said. "We're looking forward to her return to
the unit."
Though Cummings is the first Air National Guard MTI and first Guard
member to be selected for the award, she said she doesn't see herself as
a pioneer.
"I really don't think of myself as a trailblazer," Cummings said. "I've
just been given great opportunities that I've tried to maximize as best I
could, because I believe every opportunity you're given is an
opportunity to set yourself apart in a positive way."
by Joel Fortner
Air Force Public Affairs Agency
3/4/2013 - WASHNGTON (AFNS) -- F-35 Lightning
IIs were cleared for flight Feb. 28 following a temporary suspension
after a cracked engine blade was found in a test aircraft earlier in the
month.
A .06-inch crack was discovered in a third-stage turbine blade in a test
aircraft at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., Feb. 19. Third-stage blades
are located deep inside the engine.
A thorough series of tests on the blade concluded prolonged exposure to
high-heat levels and other operational stressors on the engine were
contributing factors. Edwards AFB is home of the service's major flight
test wing, where aircraft undergo rigorous testing.
"As with any new weapons system, we expect to learn things about the
aircraft and the system over time and we are doing just that," said Col.
Andrew Toth, the 33rd Fighter Wing commander at Eglin AFB, Fla., where
F-35 pilot and maintenance training began in January.
After the crack was found, all F-35 engines were inspected and no
additional cracks or signs of similar engine stress were found.
Despite not being able to fly during the recent suspension, teams at
Eglin AFB continued training in a state-of-the-art training center.
"Due to the fidelity of the simulators, approximately 50 percent of the
core syllabus flights for the F-35 training program are accomplished
virtually," Toth said. "Any additional time in the simulator gives
pilots an opportunity to practice more emergency procedures and improve
their capabilities."
The training center has electronic classrooms for maintainers,
actual-size, mock-up cockpits and weapons bays. On the flightline,
maintainers continued to hone their skills on the advanced, stealth
fighter.
In a recent interview with The Washington Post, Lt. Gen. Frank Gorenc
explained why the F-35, which will be built for the U.S. Air Force, Navy
and Marines, and eight allies, is needed.
"Enemy threats are evolving. Their surface-to-air missile technology is
evolving," he said. "So that's why fifth-generation technology is such a
thing and that's the promise of the F-35."
Gorenc said aircraft like the F-16 Fighting Falcon and A-10 Thunderbolt
II are far more vulnerable in "contested environments" because they are
not stealth aircraft.
The general also explained the advantage of going to war with coalition partners that train with and fly the same aircraft.
"The ability to deal with coalition partners that operate the same
equipment, that will probably adopt the same tactics, techniques,
procedures, that will be involved in the same logistics concept," Gorenc
said, "That's very important because when you have a coalition partner
that is operating the same equipment, there are so many things in the
joint fight that become much easier to do than you would expect."
Former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said July 18, the F-35 is critical
to a future defense strategy that depends on agility, flexibility and
the ability to stay on the cutting edge of technology.
"We're committed to all three (F-35) variants," Panetta said, "because
we think each of the forces will be able to use that kind of weaponry
for the future so that we can effectively control the skies as we
confront the enemies of tomorrow."
by Senior Airman Mary O'Dell
92nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
3/4/2013 - FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE-Wash. -- An Air Mobility Command priority-training course is making its way into the lives of Fairchild Airmen.
This eight hour-resiliency class, designed to build self-confidence,
personal strength, spiritual growth and an overall appreciation for
life, is open to civilian and military personnel on base.
"Building resilience is vital to overcoming the speed bumps and pitfalls
life throws your way," said Maj. Eric Cameron, Fairchild's lead master
resiliency trainer and bioenvironmental engineering flight commander.
"While the impacts of these adversities are handled in different ways,
the fundamental principles being taught in this resilience training
provide a skill set that will no doubt enhance everyone's resilience."
Topics discussed during the class include the Comprehensive Airman
Fitness Model, how to avoid thinking traps, putting issues in
perspective, and capitalizing on strengths.
"Modules are taught using personal examples and interactive tools to
help hit main points," said Cameron. "Once individuals have a clear
understanding of the skills being taught, they are then given the
opportunity to reflect inward to identify and share both challenges and
positive moments in their life."
Each of the ten master-resiliency trainers here attended a two-week
course at Joint-Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J. There are also
resiliency-trainer assistants who can teach up to four hours of the
course.
"This is the best Air Force training I have ever been a part of," said
Tech. Sgt. Paula Barkhauer, master resilience trainer. "This training is
designed to give our men and women the tools for coping with adversity
before an event happens."
AMC's senior leadership established a strategic goal of 20 percent of
Airmen receiving eight hours training by the end of 2012. Fairchild
exceeded that goal and is on track to meet or exceed again to have 80
percent of the base trained by December 2013.
The First Term Airman Center was the starting venue for Fairchild to get
the resilience training off the ground about a year ago. It is also now
offered the first and third Tuesday of every month at the education
center.
by Airman 1st Class Michelle Vickers
1st Special Operations Wing Public Affairs
3/4/2013 - HURLBURT FIELD, Fla.-- (AFNS) -- Lt.
Dan, as Forrest Gump film actor Gary Sinise is affectionately known,
may not actually be a member of the military, but he treats each service
member he meets with the deep-seated respect that should be given to a
brother-in-arms.
For Hurlburt Field's Tech. Sgt. Christofer Curtis, a CV-22 flight
engineer of 8th Special Operations Squadron, Sinise and the Lt. Dan
Band's February visit was more than a good time to at a concert. It was a
full circle moment in Curtis' journey towards recovery after suffering
injuries, including 17 broken bones, in an aircraft crash in Afghanistan
during a 2010 deployment.
"We met in the hospital when he had been injured and we ran into each
other again when I did another visit three or four months later," Sinise
said in describing meeting Curtis at Walter Reed National Military
Medical Center. "Now he's here [at Hurlburt] and we're really happy he's
back."
With a daunting recovery ahead of him and the need to relearn how to walk, Curtis latched onto any support he could receive.
"I was in for the long haul, not just being reconstructed physically but
also mentally," Curtis said. "I believe the first time [Sinise] was
there I was still waiting to bury my aircraft commander and there were a
lot of emotions at the time. I can remember back then I was just a
mess, but the thing that really kept [me together] was the support from
Air Force Special Operations Command, my family of course, my close
friends and folks like Gary Sinise."
While a short visit to the hospital room of a wounded warrior may seem
like a minor contribution in comparison to the sacrifice of an Airman
injured in combat, for Curtis, the visits reminded him that his
sacrifice was honored.
"[Sinise] truly cares for those that defend this nation, and continues
to do so," Curtis said. "It's one thing to talk about support but to act
and do something continually is the true mark of a patriot. That
constant time and presence he volunteers to our service members and
their families is amazing."
Though Sinise began his work with veterans years before his role as Lt.
Dan, once he portrayed an amputee veteran he began to gain insight into
the struggles of wounded warriors.
"Then I started interacting with people like [the character] Lt. Dan and
Chris, and getting to know people who have been hurt and are trying to
come back," Sinise said. "The spirit of someone like Chris, people who
just come back from injuries, they're all over the place. You probably
go through those days like Lt. Dan did in the movie where he's really
dark for a while and just can't get his mind right. Then things happen
that put them all in perspective and get you going."
After coming to the hospital to start the long road to recovery, Curtis
found himself experiencing many of the same emotions that Lt. Dan worked
through in Forrest Gump.
"Now I didn't lose my legs and get out of the military, but I certainly
could have chosen to get out and learning how to walk again was no
picnic," Curtis said. "My destiny was to be 6 feet tall and an
AFSOC-sharpened weapon or 6 feet under with my fallen crew members. I
felt as if I had been stuck in the middle and it took me a long time to
finally figure out that there's always something to live for and never
give up on a purpose to live."
Bolstering the morale of service members, whether they are deployed
overseas or recovering after being wounded in combat, is a key goal of
Sinise's Lt. Dan Band. For Sinise, honoring the troops is a natural
place to direct his attention and talents.
"I just have a lot of respect for people that decide to do this, to take
this course with their life, public service," Sinise said. "What would
we do as a country if we had nobody who wanted to raise their hand and
join our service? Well, then we'd have to have a mandatory service so
we're grateful for those who choose this."
Curtis's recovery experience altered his outlook on such service and on
those who serve alongside him. With the needed support and
encouragement, wounded warriors such as Curtis are able to return to
duty.
"I look at those who served completely different," Curtis said. "It's no
longer something that's just a word to me. I always remember that today
is probably someone's day one being a wounded veteran and the impact
that has on their families and friends can be frightening. I told myself
that if there is any chance that I could continue to serve I would do
so. As with many other wounded warriors, I had quite a bit of fight left
in me. So I used that sense of continued duty and focused it on a new
mission at the time, to get better. Now with that objective cleared,
it's back to flying."
Curtis is currently working to regain his flight qualification status so he can return to flying special operations missions.
by Airman 1st Class Naomi M. Griego
1st Special Operations Wing Public Affairs
3/1/2013 - HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. -- --Members of the 7th Special Forces Group and Team Hurlburt joined together
for an afternoon of free paintball at the paintball field on Hurlburt Field,
Fla., 1 Mar.
"I coordinate these functions because everyone works very hard and it's nice
to take a step back from the high ops tempo and just have fun," said Robert
Scott, 1st Special Operations Force Support Squadron Landing Zone manager.
Scott, a former member of the United States Army reached out to our brothers
in arms at the 7th SFG and invited them to Hurlburt Field to enjoy an
afternoon of free paintball along with Airmen from Hurlburt Field.
Scott coordinates various events with different organizations on base to encourage
camaraderie among Airmen of all ranks. His goal is simple; he just wants
everyone to enjoy themselves.
"It's pretty cool to be out here, I had fun," said Sgt. Cecily Aguas, 7th
SFG, supply logistics troop. Aguas participated in the paintball-filled
afternoon as one of the only two women amongst close to fifty men.
by Senior Airman Joe McFadden
1st Special Operations Wing Public Affairs
2/4/2013 - HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. -- In
the same park that enshrines the memory of the first Air Commandos,
sixteen Hurlburt Airmen set foot on a 450-mile march to honor their
fallen brothers during a kickoff ceremony at the Hurlburt Airpark Feb.
3.
The second annual Air Commando Ruck March and Climb encompasses a nearly
one million-step trek from Hurlburt Field, home of the Air Force
Special Operations Command, to MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., the home of
U.S. Special Operations Command.
In addition, two more Hurlburt Airmen will simultaneously ascent Mt.
Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa, as part of the dual effort to pay
tribute to the sacrifice of deceased Airmen.
"We're motivated by the memory of our brothers," said Maj. Tom Leyden,
34th Special Operations Squadron and ruck march participant. "When I
think about their sacrifice, how they loved this country, their families
and their friends - they truly lived 'service before self.' And when we
get down there for the memorial, we'll remember their sacrifice,
knowing that our country is a better place because of their service."
Tech. Sgt. Deon McGowan, 1st Special Operations Wing and lead
coordinator of the march, said the project originally began in 2011
after 31 American service members, including three Airmen from the 24th
Special Tactics Squadron, lost their lives in an Aug. 6 Chinook
helicopter crash.
Yet after completing the march, McGowan said the losses of Capt. Ryan
Hall, 319th Special Operations Squadron, Capt. Ryan Whitlock, 34th
Special Operations Squadron, 1st Lt. Justin Wilkens, 34th SOS, and
Senior Airman Julian Scholten, 25th Intelligence Squadron, in a Feb. 18,
2012 U-28A crash in Djibouti, Africa, as well as the Feb. 25, 2012
death of Lt. Col. John Loftis, 866th Air Expeditionary Squadron, in
Kabul, Afghanistan, demanded his team commit to a second march.
"This is the reason why we're out here today," McGowan said. "These Air
Commandos are dedicating their time, their bodies and their feet to this
event to honor those five Air Commandos."
McGowan reaffirmed his fellow ruckers' commitment to respecting the
fallen as he described the challenges his team would encounter.
"For the rest of our journey, it's going to be tough," he said. "But we
have a motto 'Honoring our fallen heroes, step-by-step.' And when you
walk through the gate [at MacDill Air Force Base] and the big memorial
comes up, you'll see it's an overhead shot of a spade, the symbol for
USSOCOM. And as you enter that and see the black marble with the names
on the walls, you can take your hand over the names on the wall of those
who have fallen and made the ultimate sacrifice-- I will tell you, it's
quite moving. That's what's going to get you through this march."
Among the dozens of well-wishers at the Airpark included Loftis' widow,
Holly, who thanked the team for their tribute to her husband's memory.
"It means a lot that they would do this and walk to remember them-- it's
very meaningful to us as families," she said. "But my hope is that
everyone will remember they gave their lives for our freedoms and not to
take that for granted."
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