48th unveils new tail flash

  • Published
  • By Airman John Day
  • 14th Flying Training Wing Public Affairs
COLUMBUS AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. --  A ceremony unveiling the new tail flash for the T-1A Jayhawks of the 48th Flying Training Squadron was held Jan. 9 at 8:48 a.m. in the Walker Center here.

Tail flashes are often important to heritage and can vary by base, squadron and aircraft.

In attendance for the occasion was special guest Air Force retired Col. Bob Jessup, a previous member of the 48th during the Fighter Interceptor period of existence.

Ceremony narrator 1st Lt. Luke Williams, 48th FTS Instructor Pilot, spoke on the rich history and unique heritage of the 48th and showed a video on the squadron patch that was designed by the Walt Disney Studios. He also explained the great lengths that previous commanders went to get the patch on the shoulders of pilots and the tails of aircraft at Columbus Air Force Base.

Lt. Col. Paul Baker, 48th FTS Commander, then took the stage to highlight the stories of famous past Airmen of the 48th and to express his own pride of being a member of the 48th FTS.

"The first time I saw the 48th squadron patch was as a student in Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training Class 98-01," Baker said. "I was glad I had made it that far in pilot training and I was excited to be in the squadron and I was ready to learn to fly a new plane.  Now, 17 years later I'm back in the same squadron and I proudly wear the same patch I was given back in 1998."

Jessup closed the ceremony with a short thank you to the men and women past and present of the 48th, then gave the order to unveil the tail flash.

From this day on, the T-1s of Columbus AFB will showcase the pride of the Alleycats in its new tail flash.