ROYAL AIR FORCE MILDENHALL, England – Chief Master Sgt. Steven Flax, 100th Operations Group chief enlisted manager, Senior Airman Kenneth Arcibal, 351st Air Refueling Squadron, and John Cushing, 100th Maintenance Group honorary commander, talk aboard a KC-135 Stratotanker, during Honorary Commander’s Day here Oct. 27, 2011. The day was held to foster and maintain healthy British-American relationships between base commanders and their honorary commanders. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Rachel Waller)
ROYAL AIR FORCE MILDENHALL, England – Chief Master Sgt. Christopher Powell, 100th Air Refueling Wing command chief, and Janet Rieder, wife of Michael, 100th Force Support Squadron honorary commander, look at an artist’s rendition of the first Operation Odyssey Dawn mission from RAF Mildenhall during the Honorary Commander’s Day here, Oct. 27, 2011. This event is held annually to provide honorary commanders from the local community a better understanding of the 100th ARW mission. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Rachel Waller)
ROYAL AIR FORCE MILDENHALL, England – Senior Airman Lance McDaniel, 100th Operations Group, provides a mock Operation Unified Protector intelligence briefing to honorary commanders and base commanders during Honorary Commander’s Day here Oct. 27, 2011. The purpose of the intelligence brief was to prepare the honorary commanders to “fly” in support of OUP in the KC-135 Stratotanker flight simulator. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Rachel Waller)
by Tech. Sgt. Kevin Wallace
100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
10/28/2011 - RAF MILDENHALL, England -- Operation Unified Protector was one key point on local dignitaries and their guests' agenda during their Honorary Commanders' Day visit here Oct. 27.
The focus was to educate the 17 guests and military commanders' spouses on what it takes to generate aircraft for missions such as OUP, which was accomplished through mission briefs, flying a KC-135 Stratotanker simulator and touring the air traffic control tower.
"Honorary commanders are a vital link between the base and community," said Col. Christopher Kulas, 100th Air Refueling Wing commander. "We're obligated to keep local citizens informed about our activities and to foster positive relationships with our host nation. Honorary commanders represent the community and are able to convey to base leadership what the people expect, meanwhile relaying command messages back to the community."
The first stop on the tour was the ATC tower, where Master Sgts. Eric Paddock and Brian Jones, and Tech. Sgt. Rachel Castrovinci, all from the 100th Operations Support Squadron, briefed the guests and commanders on controller operations.
From the tower, some guests noticed a cement generating facility on base. With the local community in mind, John Cushing, 100th Maintenance Group honorary commander, raised the question about why RAF Mildenhall needed such a facility.
"RAF Mildenhall operates a World War II-era runway better than many modern facilities," said Jones. "To make that possible, we need to routinely reconstitute our runway and flightline."
Rather than heavy trucks moving cement to and from the base, emitting carbon, burning diesel and damaging the local roads, the base looked for a method to reduce the environmental impact, while still supporting local businesses.
"The base reached out to local cement companies and worked a plan to erect a generation facility onsite here," said Jones, lauding the positive impacts the base has already seen.
"During last year's Christmas blizzard, RAF Mildenhall was the only open airport in the U.K. We were able to remain active while other airports were closed because we continually reconstitute our paved surfaces."
After the ATC tour and briefing, the guests were transported to the dining facility, where they partook in lunches unaccompanied Airmen regularly eat.
After lunch, they moved on to the 100th Operations Group where Capt. Charissa DeLion, 100th Air Refueling Wing Safety, hosted OUP briefings, which were given by: Lt. Col. Thomas Torkelson, 351st Air Refueling Squadron; Senior Airman Lance McDaniel, 100th Operations Group; Senior Airman Kenneth Arcibal, 251st Air Refueling Squadron; and Capt. Matthew Willey, 351st ARS.
During the briefings, Col. Joseph DeMarco, 100th OG commander, addressed the guests.
Recalling the efforts it took to devise a unique plan for 100th ARW tankers to fly the very first NATO OUP air mission, DeMarco said, "We linked up with 48th Fighter Wing F-15s that were already circling above RAF Mildenhall, and flew toward Libya. It's moments like those that'll make a commander say, 'Yes! Those are my guys up there!' We rocked the house!"
The final stop on their tour was to a static KC-135 display to view the same type of aircraft that flew the first OUP mission up close and personal.
Fuels also gave a demonstration and the guests got the chance to fly the simulator. DeLion and Lt. Col. Rob Gomez, 100th MXG deputy commander, teamed up to brief the guests on that portion.
While at the static display, the guests partook in a not-so-standard British tea break. Instead, they had their tea 'maintenance style.'
"You are all so clever, this is the best event yet," said Sir Michael Oswald, a former advisor to the Queen.
Oswald, 100th Mission Support Group honorary commander, was overwhelmed by yet another flawless honorary commanders' event, he said, lauding all the Airmen who made it possible and, more importantly, all of Team Mildenhall, who execute their mission professionally every day.
As they guests returned from their tour, many expressed gratitude of the visit and eye-opening experiences. For Team Mildenhall, the day marked another opportunity to bolster the association between base commanders and their honorary commanders, and to foster and maintain healthy British-American relationships.
Comments
11/1/2011 9:17:10 AM ET A great day thanks to all involved. It was really good to see behind the scenes and understand the amount of commitment and dedication that goes into running the base. Hopefully we can forge further links that will benefit all parties.
