CRT visits 3 Florida bases

Robert Pancake, 436th Airlift Wing honorary commander, looks through a PARASIM virtual reality parachute simulator headset during a community relations tour Oct. 19, 2016, at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla. The CRT travelled to MacDill AFB, Eglin AFB, and Hurlburt Field. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Zachary Cacicia)

CRT visits 3 Florida bases

Team Dover honorary commanders and civic leaders receive a briefing on the F-35C Lightning II, operated by the U.S. Navy Fighter Squadron 101 Grim Reapers, during a community relations tour Oct. 20, 2016, at Eglin AFB, Fla. The F-35 is a fifth generation combat aircraft designed for ground attack and air defense missions. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Zachary Cacicia)

CRT visits 3 Florida bases

Dover Air Force Base honorary commanders, civic leaders and leadership, along with Eglin AFB and U.S. Navy Fighter Squadron 101 Grim Reapers leadership pose for a photo in front of an F-35C Lightning II during a community relations tour Oct. 20, 2016, at Eglin AFB, Fla. At Eglin, the group was also given a tour of the Joint Pre-integration of Munitions and Electronic Systems facility, the explosive ordinance disposal facility and a mobile emergency operations control vehicle. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Zachary Cacicia)

CRT visits 3 Florida bases

Team Dover honorary commanders and civic leaders watch two CV-22 Ospreys take off during a community relations tour Oct. 20, 2016, at Hurlburt Field, Fla. CV-22’s are multi-mission tiltrotor aircraft with vertical takeoff and landing capabilities. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Zachary Cacicia)

CRT visits 3 Florida bases

Todd Ewald, 436th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron honorary commander, converses with Col. Doug Hall, 436th Operations Group commander, during a community relations tour Oct. 20, 2016, inside a C-17A Globemaster III, en route to Dover Air Force Base, Del. This C-17, operated by the 3d Airlift Squadron, transport the CRT to the three bases. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Zachary Cacicia)

CRT visits 3 Florida bases

Team Dover honorary commanders and civic leaders walk past a squadron of CV-22 Ospreys during a community relations tour Oct. 20, 2016, at Hurlburt Field, Fla. The purpose of the CRT was to expand the knowledge of Team Dover honorary commanders to other mission sets that take place in the Air Force, but may not necessarily take place in the Air Mobility Command. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Zachary Cacicia)

CRT visits 3 Florida bases

Mark Rudo, Team Dover civic leader, looks down the scope of a Barrett M107 semi-automatic sniper rifle during a community relations tour Oct. 19, 2016, at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla. Besides the combat arms facility, the group was given a tour of MacDill’s fabrication shop, KC-135 Stratotanker simulator and parachute rigging facility. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Zachary Cacicia)

CRT visits 3 Florida bases

John Paradee, 512th Airlift Wing honorary commander, examines inspection paperwork on a parachute during a community relations tour Oct. 19, 2016, at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla. Paradee is one of 30 past and present Team Dover honorary commanders and local civic leaders to go on the CRT. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Zachary Cacicia)

CRT visits 3 Florida bases

Capt. Bernie Kale, 512th Airlift Wing Public Affairs chief, and Lisa Courtney, 436th Force Support Squadron honorary commander, inspect a parachute during a community relations tour Oct. 19, 2016, at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla. The installations that were visited feature missions that differ greatly in scope from those at Dover AFB, allowing the honorary commanders to gain a better understanding of what the Air Force and military does as a whole. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Zachary Cacicia)

CRT visits 3 Florida bases

Published Oct. 26, 2016
By Senior Airman Zachary Cacicia
436th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. -- Large cargo aircraft are cool and all, but F-35C Lightning IIs and CV-22 Ospreys might be a little cooler.

A group of 30 past and present Team Dover honorary commanders and local civic leaders joined 436th Airlift Wing leadership on a community relations tour of three Air Force installations in Florida, Oct. 19 to 20, 2016.

“The purpose of the CRT was to expand the knowledge of our honorary commanders to other mission sets that take place in the Air Force but may not necessarily take place in the Air Mobility Command,” said Dawne Nickerson-Banez, 436th AW Public Affairs community relations chief.

The two day whirlwind tour took the group to MacDill AFB, Eglin AFB and Hurlburt Field, all via a C-17A Globemaster III, operated by the 3d Airlift Squadron. These installations feature missions that differ greatly from those at Dover AFB, allowing the honorary commanders to gain a better understanding of what the Air Force and military does as a whole.

“This community relations tour, thanks to our staff and thanks to our honorary partners, was a tremendous success,” said Col. Ethan Griffin, 436th AW commander. “Not only did we build our relationships and our trust as a team and further the legacy and foundation of excellence at Dover Air Force Base, but we exposed our honorary commanders, our citizen patriots, to the military experience at diverse locations down south.”

The first day of the CRT started early with everyone meeting at the 436th Aerial Port Squadron’s Passenger Terminal at 5 a.m. to be processed and then loaded onto a C-17 for a short two-hour flight. Due to an ongoing runway construction project at MacDill AFB, the flight landed at Tampa International Airport, a short distance away from the base. Upon arriving, the group was greeted by 6th Air Mobility Wing leadership and received detailed mission briefings on the 6th AMW, the U.S. Central Command and the base in general. A special emphasis was placed on the support given to the base by the local community.

The remainder of the day featured a tour of several Team MacDill facilities, including its fabrication shop, combat arms, KC-135 Stratotanker simulator and its parachute rigging facility. The evening concluded with a social dinner that brought Team Dover’s honorary commanders and civic leaders together with their MacDill counterparts.

The second day of the CRT saw a lot of travelling as the group flew first to Eglin AFB, where they were greeted by 96th Test Wing leadership. The on to Eglin, where the group was given a tour of the Joint Pre-integration of Munitions and Electronic Systems facility, the explosive ordinance disposal facility and a mobile emergency operations control vehicle. For many of the honorary commanders, the highlight of the day was a tour of a static F-35 with the U.S. Navy’s Fighter Squadron 101 Grim Reapers.

Their brief stay at Eglin was followed by a short bus ride to Hurlburt Field, where the Air Force’s Special Operations Command is located. There, the group was given a tour of a CV-22 and a mission brief on the 1st Special Operations Wing.

“To be honest and to not sound too cliché, this tour has reconfirmed why I am proud to be an American,” said J.R. Ennis, 436th Maintenance Squadron honorary commander. “I got to see how Dover Air Force Base fits into the entire military pie for the United States, but I also got to see how we compare to other bases. More importantly, I got to see the passion, the dedication, and what [the Airmen] do for our freedoms.”

By Ennis’ and the others’ feedback, the CRT was deemed a success.

“The overall experience was fantastic,” said Robert Pancake, 436th AW honorary commander. “I really enjoyed spending time with the other honorary commanders and interacting with the crew and the folks that came with us from Dover AFB. Meeting the honorary commanders at MacDill, seeing what we have in common and what they do for their community. It was a very rewarding experience.”

Typically, a CRT is held annually to take honorary commanders and civic leaders to various Air Force installations. In the past, they have travelled to the Air Force Academy, Luke AFB and Davis-Monthan AFB, to name a few.

“I hope this continues,” said Ennis. “It allows us as community leaders to sell Dover AFB and to kind of be in your shoes for a few days. It allows us to see a picture of what you do and what you are fighting for.”

The quick two-day tour wrapped up, friends were made, experiences were had and appreciation was gained.

“I think they really appreciated the opportunity to spend time with their Airmen, their Sailors, their Soldiers, and their Marines in a joint environment at MacDill [AFB], and down at Eglin [AFB] and Hurlburt ,” said Griffin. “Lastly, I would just say thank you to those teams and community partners at those locations that spent time and gave of their schedules to share their experience with us.”