Remembering Our Past to Inspire Our Future: 2011 A Year In Review

  • Published
  • By Dr. Doris Crusoe
  • Wing Historian
COLUMBUS AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. --  As we remember and reflect upon our past journey through 2011, Team BLAZE successfully met numerous challenges as well as celebrated the rewards of those accomplishments. Thus, those events and milestones offer a course in which to inspire future goals.

Throughout the year several memorable cultural events were held, designed to celebrate and embrace the strength of diversity within the Air Force and wing. Even more, the wing held several off-site and on-site leadership events as well as hosted numerous Distinguished Visitors.

In terms of Producing Pilots the wing successfully graduated 308 SUPT students, 15 ALP students and 12 international pilots. Airmen continued to advance as 34 members graduated Airman Leadership School, 20 Noncommissioned Officers graduated the NCO Academy and four Senior Noncommissioned Officers successfully completed SNCOA. Team BLAZE fed the Fight in terms of deployments, when the wing deployed 97 members, the highest number of Airmen ever at any one given time.

Over the past year the 14th Mission Support Group and six squadrons welcomed new commanders. The wing also bid farewell to Col. George Ross and hailed Col. Matt Isler as the new vice commander.

During the early months of January and February, the preventive program 434-RIDE was initiated with the intent to prevent DUIs. Thanks to a team of volunteers, this anonymous hotline offered a no strings safety-net alternative to getting behind the wheel after consuming too much alcohol. Moreover, many of the base's sharpest Airmen attended the 2-day AETC Symposium in San Antonio, Texas. On Sept. 15 the operating system Window Seven was introduced to the base, making it the first AETC base to successfully achieve the AETC benchmark and load the operating system onto 70% of its compatible computers.

Perhaps one of the most impressive highlights of the year occurred on Jan. 20, when the City of Columbus received the first ever Air Education and Training Command Altus Trophy for their support of Columbus AFB. Later in February the wing received news that it had won its tenth Air Force Outstanding Unit Award for the period July 1, 2009 to Jun. 30, 2010. During that same month the wing suffered a Class A mishap when a T-38 crashed in Texas. Fortunately, the pilot escaped with minor injuries.

March could be viewed as an extremely challenging period but quiet a productive and rewarding time as well. A unit compliance inspection was conducted to measure the wing's effectiveness to meet its mission requirements. As a result, Team BLAZE received an overall Satisfactory rating, meeting the mission. Moreover, several individual units and agencies received Outstanding as well as Excellent performance evaluations.

12 May, the base CSC held its grand opening of a new Thrift Shop. Notably, on May 26, Capt. Jeffery A. Hill, a former Columbus AFB student pilot killed while flying a military aircraft, was ceremonially honored and memorialized. His name is engraved onto the Wing's Memorial Wall at Smith's Plaza.

The following month, Columbus AFB hosted 40 Civil Air Patrol cadets from July 11 to 15. The cadets were afforded an opportunity to briefly experience Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training. In addition, on July 24, a 21 member team represented the 14th SFS when the group participated in a146 mile walk from Alexandria, La. to Brookhaven, Miss. This challenging "Ruck March to Remember," was a tribute to the Security Forces Airmen that had fallen over the 10 years since the 9/11 attacks. Each member of the team marched roughly 7.3 miles carrying a 45 lb rucksack and the Security Forces Guidon.

During the extremely warm summer month of July, a grand milestone was witnessed, as the Wing commander landed the first sortie at the Golden Triangle Regional airport. This recorded landing marked the completion of an extended runway which met the required length necessary to utilize the airport for T-38s training purposes. Meanwhile, per guidance from NASA, Columbus AFB Plan 281 (Space Shuttle Ferry Flight Support) and wing contingency checklist G-2, Space Shuttle Support was rescinded as the space shuttle program ended.

In August, T-1 Jayhawk instructor pilots from Columbus AFB were awarded the title of "Best T-1 Team" during the Air Mobility Rodeo 2011 award ceremony. Meanwhile, the wing received a first time visit from Gen. Edward Rice, Commander, Air Education and Training Command and AETC Command Chief Master Sgt., Jim Cody. Both leaders proclaimed the highest praise for Team BLAZE's accomplishments.
As we moved toward the end of the fiscal year, an Honorary Command induction ceremony held at the BLAZE Hangar would help to aid the course for deeper community relations. Twenty-three honorary commanders participated in the event which allowed them to experience a formal military ceremony. The month of September ended with a successful community tradition, as Team BLAZE came together to show a deep appreciation for local retirees as a Retiree Appreciation Day was held at the Columbus Club.
October would mark the beginning of a new fiscal year and the start of the year's Combined Federal Campaign which would meet and excess our yearly goal. Through concerted efforts between 14th Operations Group and Communication, Civil Engineers and Operations Support Squadrons, 31 localizer course guidance system (navigation aids) were relocated and passed the flight check to the tightest commissioning tolerances.
During the month of November, the Air Force announced its plans to restructure the civilian work force. Although the decision would ultimately affect several Team BLAZE members, the wing leadership worked diligently to ensure that those members who wanted to remain employed with CAFB would be given that choice.
Prior to the calendar year ending, on Dec. 2 the wing was honored with an additional unit as the 14th Student Squadron was reactivated with a mission to manage Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training students during casual status and in flying training as well as to manage academic and simulator instruction and student support services.

The base held its annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony and several members of Team BLAZE participated in the local Columbus Christmas parade. We also need to remember all of our Team BLAZE members deployed around the world supporting the global war on terrorism. They face danger on a daily basis to preserve the freedom all Americans enjoy and many take for granted.

As we bid farewell to 2011 and look ahead to 2012, I wish each of you a safe and prosperous new year.