Orientation offers newcomers chance to know base

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Christopher Gross
  • 14th Flying Training Wing Public Affairs
COLUMBUS AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. --  Moving for most families can be a stressful time; there’s many moving pieces which is why Columbus Air Force Base leadership mandated its’ Airmen to set aside some time and ensure they’re taking care of any unforeseen necessities.

The Wing Newcomers Orientation consist of 28 briefings for newcomers, in which 23 are mandated by Air Force instructions.

Jeff Ellis, a 14th Force Support Squadron Community Readiness Coordinator, said this is a convenient way for Airmen to take care of all those briefings in one stop.

Ellis said the objective is to “catch all the [incoming] personnel, whether military, civilian, [and] whether it’s their first duty station, or student pilots, or 20-year veterans to try and give them information about Columbus [AFB] and the community.”

Ellis said he hopes attendees walk away knowing the opportunities available to them on base and in the community.

From the 28 briefs that take place, attendees learn more about activities offered through the 14th FSS, benefits of being a Columbus Club member, information on local school districts, how to determine which school zones their children will fall into, educational opportunities and much more.

Staff Sgt. Reginald Jackson, 14th Communications Squadron technician, recently arrived to Columbus AFB from Keesler AFB, Mississippi, and said everyone at Columbus AFB has been very welcoming since he arrived. A lot of people have offered information on places to go on base and in town.

As for the orientation, Jackson said there was “a lot of good information as far as services offered on base.”

He also found the information regarding free classes offered by East Mississippi Community College to be very interesting.

“As far as the classes, that was all good information they offer,” Jackson said. “A lot of free classes where you don’t have to pay for anything and can check out the books.”

The current orientation is nearly half the length it was three years ago and because of the inclusion of family members and civilian personnel, Ellis said the annual attendance has grown from about 550 people several years ago to about 750 people.

Attendance numbers for next month are expected to be higher, as Ellis said nearly 120 cadets are expected to arrive from the U.S. Air Force Academy.