Local community leaders tour B-2, Air Force museum

  • Published
  • By Danielle Lutes
  • 71st Flying Training Wing Public Affairs
VANCE AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  A group of 31 civic, business and educational leaders from throughout northern Oklahoma left Vance AFB July 23, on a KC-135 Stratotanker, as part of a two-day community relations tour sponsored by the 71st Flying Training Wing.

The trip was hosted by Col. Chris Nowland, 71st FTW commander, and organized by the chief of Community Relations, Bob Farrell.

"I have never been on a trip this well-organized," said Rex Finnegan, a psychologist with the Stillwater Okla., Police Department.

According to Mr. Farrell, "The tour was designed to show our community leaders other Air Force missions, specifically highlighting how air power has, and continues to be, of utmost importance in our nation's defense. The 'Pride in the Past, Faith in the Future' theme this year pinpointed how the founders of our Air Force worked through adversity to get to where we are today."

The tour members were chosen based on how well they would support the base and if the Air Force would benefit from them knowing more information about the Air Force in general.

"The trip gives the community leaders appreciation of what our officers and enlisted members do beyond just Vance," said Colonel Nowland.

"It also helps show them what our officers are potentially going to go do -- for example, going to Whiteman AFB, Mo., and flying the B-2, or going to Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio and being involved in test and evaluation," he said.

The community leaders first visited Wright-Patterson AFB where they attended a wing mission brief by Col. Bradley Spacy, 88th Air Base Wing Commander and had lunch with other commanders. Later, they toured the Air Force Research Lab.

"On the trip, I realized how the organizations throughout the Air Force fit together," said Mr. Finnegan. "What they do in the lab impacts the Air Force in future years. You think of the Air Force as so widespread, and when you break it into smaller pieces, you see how it works."

That evening, the community leaders visited the Air Force museum, where they ate dinner surrounded by aircraft like the F-86 Saber, F-100 Super Saber, B-52 Stratofortress and the F-22 Raptor.

"I was very impressed with the size of Wright-Patterson," said Bill Shewey, the senior vice president at Central National Bank in Enid, Okla. "I've heard about it before, but that was my first trip there. The trip was very informative and educational."

The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force has over 400 aerospace vehicles along with thousands of historical items that bring history to life and connect the Wright Brothers' legacy with today's technology.

On Friday, the tour group visited the Huffman Prairie Flying Field Memorial. The Field was where the Wright Brothers operated a flying school from 1910 to 1916.

"I was fascinated by the enthusiasm of everyone, regardless of their rank or job. That enthusiasm really spoke well of the Air Force," said Mr. Finnegan.

Later that afternoon, they flew to Whiteman AFB, home of the 509th Bomb Wing, which operates and maintains the Air Force's premier weapon system, the B-2 Spirit multi-role bomber. At Whiteman AFB, they received a briefing on the 509th Bomb Wing and toured a B-2 bomber and bomb-load simulator.

When the community leaders received their B-2 briefing at Whiteman AFB, they met Majs. Rob and Beth Makros, husband and wife, both B-2 pilots previously assigned to Vance.

While they flew back to Vance that afternoon onboard the KC-135, they were part of an aerial refueling mission with a C-17 Globemaster III. Both the C-17 and the KC-135 came from the 97th Airlift Wing at Altus AFB, Okla.

"It was amazing to see the skill required to get airplanes that large so close together," said Mr. Finnegan.

"Without a doubt, (my favorite part) was seeing the enjoyment on our civic leaders' faces -- their amazement at the very different aspects such as when they're looking down, lying on their bellies in the refueling bay of the KC-135, and they see this C-17 pony up right behind them to get gas. I think those experiences and seeing how our civic leaders reacted to them was the best thing," Colonel Nowland said.