Civic leaders from Okaloosa and Santa Rosa County tour a KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft parked on the flightline at MacDill AFB, Fla., recently. Each year, the 919th Special Operations Wing conducts a civic leader tour to help its community neighbors broaden their perspective of Air Force active duty and Reserve worldwide missions. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Jasmin Taylor)
Civic leaders, from left, Michelle Tucker, Stephanie DuPree and Shirley Brown, take turns using binoculars to view airfield operations from the air traffic control tower at MacDill AFB, Fla., recently. Each year, the 919th Special Operations Wing conducts a civic leader tour to help its community neighbors broaden their perspective of Air Force active duty and Reserve worldwide missions. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Jasmin Taylor)
Airman 1st Class Christian Smith, 6th Operations Support Squadron, talks with Angela Campbell, a Santa Rosa County civic leader, in the tower at MacDill AFB, Fla., recently. Each year, the 919th Special Operations Wing conducts a civic leader tour to help its community neighbors broaden their perspective of Air Force active duty and Reserve worldwide missions. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Jasmin Taylor)
Staff Sgt. Robert Lewis, 6th Security Forces Squadron, acts as an aggressor for Razor during a military working dog capabilities demonstration for the 919th Special Operations Wing’s invited civic leaders touring MacDill AFB, Fla., recently. Each year, the 919th SOW conducts a civic leader tour to help its community neighbors broaden their perspective of Air Force active duty and Reserve worldwide missions. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Jasmin Taylor)
Civic leader Chris Norman meets, from left, Senior Airman Allen Jackson and Airman 1st Class Ryan Baez, 6th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, while aboard a parked KC-135 Stratotanker at MacDill AFB, Fla., recently. Each year, the 919th Special Operations Wing conducts a civic leader tour to help its community neighbors broaden their perspective of Air Force active duty and Reserve worldwide missions. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Jasmin Taylor)
Civic leaders from Okaloosa and Santa Rosa counties pose for a group photo in front of a 927th Air Refueling Wing KC-135 Stratotanker while touring MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., recently. Each year, the 919th Special Operations Wing conducts a civic leader tour to help its community neighbors broaden their perspective of Air Force active duty and Reserve worldwide missions. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Jasmin Taylor)
by Dan Neely
919th Special Operations Wing Public Affairs
5/24/2012 - DUKE FIELD, Fla -- Civic leaders from Okaloosa and Santa Rosa counties expanded their Air Force knowledge during a tour of MacDill Air Force Base, near Tampa, Fla., recently.
Intended to help broaden the civic leaders' understanding of the global Air Force mission, the 919th Special Operations Wing-sponsored tour afforded them an even wider perspective - a visit to Headquarters U.S. Central Command, the combatant command responsible for operations in a 20-nation region stretching from Egypt eastward to the borders of India and China.
Airlifted to and from MacDill aboard a 919th SOW MC-130E aircraft from Duke Field, the tour began with mission briefings from officials of the active duty host 6th Air Mobility Wing and its Reserve Associate partner 927th Air Refueling Wing. It included stops to see MacDill's air traffic control tower and training simulator, a 6th Security Forces Squadron military working dog demonstration and an opportunity to climb aboard a KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft.
Aside from their military round-trip flight, the civic leaders paid for all other travel expenses. Those costs were more than worthwhile, according to the diverse group that included professionals from hotel managers and bankers to realtors and clergy.
"I was really impressed how ready and knowledgeable the 20-year-old Airman was in the control tower," said Ashley McCallum, associate director of academic support with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's Crestview campus.
"The 927th host unit's coordination, timing and overall hospitality, and the teamwork exhibited coming out of Duke Field were fantastic," said Craig Yort, a member of the Crestview Chamber of Commerce's Military Affairs Committee.
While security policy barred them from taking photographs inside the massive USCENTCOM headquarters and its Joint Operations Center, the civic leaders soaked up plenty of memories to take home after receiving unclassified situation briefings about multiple hot spots in the command's area of responsibility.
"I thought it was amazing to see all of the decisions made by CENTCOM about (operations in) Afghanistan," said Jackie Blue, director of sales for Ramada Plaza Beach Resort.
