Utah civic leaders visit NAS Fort Worth JRB

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Samantha Mathison
  • 301st Fighter Wing Public Affairs
NAVAL AIR STATION FORT WORTH JOINT RESERVE BASE, Texas --  More than 30 civic leaders flew from Hill Air Force Base, Utah, Aug. 20 to tour the 10th Air Force and the 301st Fighter Wing here.

The civic leader tour program invites leaders from surrounding communities to take a close look at the Air Force's mission and operations.

The 419th Fighter Wing hosted the event, which included a tour of their operations at Hill AFB and a flight to and from NAS Fort Worth JRB on a KC-10 aircraft.

The civic leaders were greeted by Maj. Gen. Richard Scobee, 10 AF commander, at 10 AF headquarters when they arrived.

"Our job at 10 AF is to give the American people the greatest combat capability we can with the least burden to the taxpayer," Scobee told them.

"If the businesses and leaders of the community don't support what's going on in the arc of the Guard and Reserve, then we couldn't do what we do," he said.

Val Hale, executive director of the governor's office of economic development for Utah, took part in the visit and understood the importance of a military base to a local community.

"I look at things from an economic standpoint and it's a huge boon to the community. It's a tremendous asset for the Dallas/Fort Worth area and we feel the same way up in Utah around Ogden and Hill AFB," he said.

The leaders then received briefings from Col. William Lyons, 10 AF assistant vice commander, who spoke on the history of 10 AF and its functions, and Col. Jeffery Barnett, 301st Maintenance Support Group commander, who gave a rundown of the 301 FW's mission and operations.

Afterwards, the leaders were taken to an aircraft hangar where they got a close-up view of an F-16.

Chief Master Sgt. Tod Bell, 301st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron flight chief, and Senior Master Sgt. Eric Stuhan, 495th Fighter Group Detachment 457 superintendent, met with the leaders to discuss the active associate Total Force Integration here versus the classic associate unit they have at Hill AFB.

"I think it is important for the Utah civic leaders to see this side of TFI because I think this is more the wave of the future than the classic associate unit," Bell said.

"In the active associate, the Reserve unit has all the buy-in for what goes on and our regular active duty force is a manning assist to us. It is beneficial to the regular Air Force because we train young active duty Airmen, who get to see the pride and ownership we take in our aircraft. We try to instill that pride into them before they move on to a regular active duty unit," he said.

Mike Caldwell, Mayor of Ogden, Utah, acknowledged the efforts the 419 FW put forth to garner backing from their community.

"We appreciate the opportunity and hospitality to come down and get a better understanding of how we can support them better at home," he said.