Local civic leaders learn SJ, Mountain Home mission, challenges

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. David W. Carbajal
  • 4th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

Members of 4th Fighter Wing leadership accompanied 27 local civic leaders as they learned more about the Air Force during a two-day trip to Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, April 26-27.

During this immersion, the civic leaders flew from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina, to Mountain Home on a KC-10 Extender from Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, to get a firsthand glimpse of multiple aerial refuels global reach and combat missions.

The purpose of this tour is to showcase the Air Force combat training missions of fighter wings and highlight the synergistic relationship between two premier F-15E Strike Eagle wings.

“It’s important for the civic leaders to learn more about our Air Force,” said Col. Brian Armstrong, 4th FW vice commander. “It helps them better understand what our Airmen do and how we keep air superiority.”

Both fighter wings educated local opinion leaders and those who make positive contributions to public understanding, allowing them to become stronger advocates for the Air Force.

While at Mountain Home, the SJ civic leaders joined civic leaders from Mountain Home and were briefed about the Strike Eagle challenges, which included how the ranges are managed and how the Air Force and communities protect its airspace. Then, the group got an up-close look at an F-15 at the 428th Fighter Squadron, which conducts formal training missions to qualify the Republic of Singapore Air Force crews, and learned more about various weapon systems at the 726th Air Control Squadron.

This trip was the first civic leader tour here since 2011.

The 4th FW vice commander stressed the importance of showing civic leaders the priorities and challenges different installations will help them be more knowledgeable.

“Every base is different and every community that supports that base is different,” said Armstrong. “These civic leaders have had a chance to see that after visiting Seymour Johnson and now Mountain Home.”