MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. (August 30, 2018)—The 927th Air Refueling Wing here, hosted a two-day tour for more than a dozen civic leaders from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio on August 28-29 to learn more about reservists and their duties at MacDill AFB.
The Air Force Civic Leader Program is an Air Staff-level program comprising major-command-selected community leaders from a wide variety of industries and sectors including banking and economic development, construction, manufacturing, education, healthcare, science and technology.
On arrival here, civics were greeted by Col. Doug Stouffer, 927th Air Refueling Wing commander, who gave a presentation about the mission, aircrafts, and history here at MacDill AFB.
“It is such a privilege to be a civic leader at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base,” said Belinda Matthews Stenson, Director for the Minority Business Partnership for the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce. “It’s not every day that people get the opportunity to get invited to tour other bases.”
The tour consisted of a Boom Operator Systems Trainer simulator, which is an on-ground reproduction of the boom pod in a KC-135 Stratotanker that is used as a realistic and more affordable training alternative to flying actual missions to watching a Military Working Dogs demonstration even taking a tour of the base’s Marine Patrol.
“Being able to go inside and fly the simulator was such an amazing experience,” said Sarah Mays, Mayor of the City of Xenia. “The refueling mission is a tough job, but I am impressed with how I performed in the simulator.”
While touring the KC-135 static display, group members were able to sit and experience the inside of the cockpit while learning more about the aircraft history and its capabilities.
The hands-on part of the tour is what is most memorable for the civic leaders. These civic leader trips increase awareness of how the Air Force Reserve contributes to the total force and the importance of the 927th Refueling Wing to the local economy.
Upon to departure, the civics processed with travel orders in hand through the MacDill Passenger Terminal prior to boarding a C-17 Globemaster III to head back home to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.