Warrior of the Week - Maj. Ben Merritt Published Aug. 6, 2009 VANCE AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- Name: Maj. Ben Merritt Duty: Assistant chief of Safety, 71st Flying Training Wing, and Reserve pilot with the 5th Flying Training Squadron Hometown: Independence, Iowa Favorite PT regimen: Running and weight training Mission contributions: Major Merritt coordinated and facilitated a week-long visit and baseline assessment by a five-person Air Force Voluntary Protection Program team from the Department of Defense VPP Center for Excellence. VPP is a commander's program which involves the voluntary performance of personnel across the base in ground safety excellence. Major Merritt coordinated over 15 interviews and 31 site evaluations, and will lead the base's VPP Implementation Team to develop an action plan and timelines to bring the Wing's safety and health performance up to VPP standards.