by Airman 1st Class Justin T. Armstrong
Minot Air Force Base Public Affairs
8/18/2015 - MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- After
quietly tuning his electric bass behind stage, he slowly walks up a
ramp, wearing a drab-green T-shirt and an Army combat uniform patterned
ball cap emblazoned with his foundation's red and blue logo. Head down,
he puts an arm in the air and instantly the Dock 1 crowd went from
silent to a deafening roar.
Gary Sinise, better known by some as Lt. Dan Taylor from the 90's
cult-classic film Forrest Gump, visited Minot Air Force Base, North
Dakota, to perform with the Lt. Dan Band for the second time Aug. 15,
2015.
"We wanted to provide entertainment to folks who don't generally get a
lot of it," Sinise said. "Airmen and families need some entertainment up
here -- they need to know they're appreciated -- so I came back."
The band, comprised of 12 members, is a program of the Gary Sinise
Foundation and has per-formed hundreds of shows for thousands of
military members since 2003, according to their offi-cial website.
Sinise's original visit came in 2014 after Air Force Global Strike
Command asked if the band would visit bases within the command. The
initial tour of the northern bases included F.E. War-ren AFB, Malmstrom
AFB and Minot AFB and was produced by the Gary Sinise Foundation as well
as local sponsors.
This year's tour was a joint effort between the Gary Sinise Foundation and the United Service Organizations.
Sinise understands and appreciates the importance of the nuclear mission
at Minot as well as the hard work Airmen put in day-in and day-out.
He often stressed the significance and uniqueness of the mission and location.
"It's an important mission up here," Sinise said. "You can tend to be
just doing your job up here, in the middle of nowhere, with no knowledge
that folks are actually paying attention to what you're doing."
This is why Gary Sinise and the Lt. Dan Band returned to Minot with the
band's theme being "Honor, Gratitude, and Rock and Roll."
"I like to get to places in the military where a lot of folks don't get
to go or see and meet people that are doing jobs that are important and
make sure they know we're grateful for what they're doing out there,"
Sinise said. "That's why I came back. I just want to say 'thank you' and
make sure the families up here know that we appreciate them as well."
The Lt. Dan Band set list included a variety of popular covers such as
"Uptown Funk," "Let it Go" from Frozen, the Crime Scene Investigation
New York television show theme song, "Chicken Fried" and "God Bless the
USA."
After a performance lasting more than two hours, the lights of Dock 1
dimmed, a spotlight fo-cused center-stage on Sinise and he took a moment
to talk about how the military affected his life. He concluded by
formally thanking Minot Airmen and their families for their tireless
contri-butions to our nation's safety.
by Staff Sgt. Malia Jenkins
Minot Air Force Base Public Affairs
8/14/2015 - MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- B-52H
Stratofortress aircrew demonstrated Team Minot's respect and gratitude
for 33 years of selfless service to the Ninth Chief Master Sergeant of
the Air Force, James C. Binnicker, during a flyover at his funeral at
Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, today.
Binnicker served in the Air Force's top enlisted position from July 1,
1986, to July 31, 1990. During his tenure, he led the transformation
from the Airman Performance Report to the Enlisted Performance Report
and developed the performance feedback system. He also worked to have
master sergeants admitted to the Senior NCO Academy and to increase the
opportunities for minorities and women throughout the Air Force.
Binnicker retired Aug. 1, 1990, but his heart never left the Air Force,
Senior Master Sgt. Lee E. Hoover Jr. said in a remembrance article. He
continued traveling around the world to speak with Airmen in different
forums, including professional military education courses. In 2000, he
was selected as the CEO and President of the Air Force Enlisted Village
in Shalimar, Florida, and spent the next 15 years working tirelessly to
provide more than 400 residents a loving, secure place to call home, he
added.
To honor Binnicker and his multitude of accomplishments to better the
Air Force and its Airmen, Team Minot plans to name one of their
dormitories after him. They also flew a lithograph from the 5th Bomb
Wing command chief's office in one of the aircraft to eventually hang in
the Binnicker Dorm.
"Flying the lithograph is a unique circumstance that presented itself as
if by magic. Several months ago, I arrived at the office to see the
litho leaning against the couch with no notes or indication where it
came from, and I haven't found out yet," said Chief Geoff Weimer, 5th
Bomb Wing command chief. "So, I proudly hung it on the wall without much
more thought. More recently, our local Air Force Sergeants Association
Chapter expressed interest in memorializing one of our two remaining
unnamed dorms in honor of Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force
Binnicker. I put some thought into flying different items over the
funeral to eventually be unveiled at a dedication ceremony, but didn't
have a solid plan."
As if by magic once again, Col. Jason Armagost, 5th Bomb Wing commander,
walked into his office one morning and within seconds said, "So, he was
the sitting Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force at the time this
litho was produced and signed?"
Weimer said the proverbial light came on and the next priority became
clear -- get the circa 1990 lithograph, signed by the surviving eight of
the nine Chief Master Sergeants of the Air Force, on that flight!
"Signed by Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Binnicker during his
tenure, flown over his funeral ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery
and eventually placed on the wall of a building named in his honor, what
more solemn significance could you ask for?" Weimer said.
Showing the dedication of bomber Airmen once again, three of Minot's
dedicated professionals and leaders flew the lithograph from Weimer's
office during the flyover: Senior Airman Taylor Lancaster, 5th Aircraft
Maintenance Squadron crew chief, Staff Sgt. Brandon Spencer, 5th AMXS
crew chief and Senior Airman Jason Frunzi, 5th Civil Engineer Squadron
structural apprentice.
Frunzi was hand-picked as an additional member to fly in the aircraft because of his hard work, dedication and selflessness.
"Senior Airman Frunzi is a strong and selfless representation of the
24/7 professional ethic we strive to achieve as Airmen. He is a tireless
technician, leader of fellow Airmen and community servant," Weimer
said.
"Bomber Airmen put their blood, sweat and tears into the mission at home
and abroad every day. They do it with the knowledge that so much of
what we enjoy as Airmen today is the result of passionate advocacy from
iconic leaders before us like Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force
Binnicker," Weimer said. "The Warbirds are giving a huge vitamin shot to
our understanding of how heritage complements and propels our mission,
vision and priorities. Putting our tail flash in the skies over
Arlington bridged the gap between our hard-working Airmen and the giants
whose shoulders we stand on."
by Senior Airman Stephanie Morris
Minot Air Force Base Public Affairs
7/27/2015 - MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- Chief
Master Sgt. Geoff Weimer, 5th Bomb Wing command chief, ran 52 miles on
the McAdoo Sports and Fitness Center outdoor track to support the Air
Force Enlisted Village and Chief Master Sergeant. Scholarship Fund at
Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, July 24, 2015.
Weimer was able to raise $1,733.60 for the Air Force Enlisted Village
and Chief Master Sergeant Scholarship Fund, by collecting 52 cent
donations from 5th Bomb Wing Airmen.
Weimer explained his desire to take on the monumental run was due to the
fact that unlike some of the major annual charitable contribution
campaigns, the Chief Master Sergeant Scholarship Fund and Air Force
Enlisted Village do not have broad publicity and the formal structure to
generate the same high levels of support. Nonetheless, the fund and the
scholarship are important components of taking care of Air Force
families today and in the future; his main goal was to generate support
for them.
"It is one of many events that serves to remind us as Warbirds and Rough
Riders, we are Bomber Airmen and Missile Airmen who provide deterrence
and assurance. But, above all, we are also Air Force Airmen who support
the world's greatest airpower team and families," Weimer said.
It's possible, and very motivating, for Airmen to blend their personal
interests and goals with professional pursuits and the betterment of
their missions and organizations, Weimer said. It can bring balance to
their lives and sustains their momentum by way of physical and mental
endurance when they face significant stressors and challenges.
The event incorporated the aspects of physical fitness and the mental
fortitude to set and achieve challenging goals which supported a worthy
contribution effort, Weimer said.
To prepare for the event, Weimer made distance adjustments to his
regular running routine and factored in fatigue and physical stress.
"For this particular event, I basically stepped up the mileage from 32
miles per week to 50 to 60 and then tapered down the final two weeks
with rest the final two days," Weimer said. "There's much more detail to
it, but mileage and nutrition are the two top components."
However, this was not the first extended run Weimer has participated in.
He has run ultra distances, many in the form of relays in the past.
He explained the relay experiences were particularly helpful in ultra
training because the team aspect builds relationships while gaining
experience and expertise from other avid runners.
"Running is a life-long interest and activity, so I've read and adjusted many times over the years," Weimer said.
In addition to supporting the CMSAF Scholarship Fund and Air Force
Enlisted Village, Weimer also hoped to send a message to base Airmen
that personal wellness, professional success and quality of life depend
on a long-term approach to building strength, skills and meaningful
relationships.
"My advice is to establish life-long goals based on a vision of your
future self, and then plot the incremental milestones necessary to
achieve the vision," Weimer said. "On a daily basis, simply plan your
run and run your plan."
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