TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Oklahoma --
What took months of planning and effort culminated in the third spot on the local NBC affiliate recently.
For 30 seconds we watched proudly as the 507th Air Refueling Wing sent six aircraft and 156 of our finest warriors downrange, away from their families and homes, during an especially tough time of year, in support of our nation's continuing contingency operations.
What struck me most profoundly was what Col. Randall "Arlo" Guthrie, former 507th ARW vice commander, said when he was deployed to Manas years ago. He said, "...it's amazing that it takes all of us...and everybody has to know their part." I recalled his words as I watched all of the moving parts it takes, pulling off a major deployment, coming into play at the exact right place in space in time.
In the aftermath of the single greatest snowfall on record for the state of Oklahoma, on Christmas Day of all days, we awoke to a thwarted terrorist attack on our nation; tragically reaffirming the enemy is among us and will likely try again, if not succeed, to attack this nation.
Locally, in 14.1 inches of snow, we watched maintainers configuring jets as well as shoveling flightlines, roads and sidewalks for the impending deployment. Services Flight was ordering custom-made box lunches, Command Post was verifying message traffic and monitoring weather, operators were mission planning, the lawyers and the Command Chief were traveling in from afar; fuels flight was ensuring fuel loads were
correct, the medical squadron was shoring up medical requirements, personnel specialists were finalizing CED orders, log planners were loading DCAPES, UDM's were giving mobility folders a last check, Public Affairs was taking photographs, escorting
media and issuing the press release, transportation division reserved buses and stake trucks and prepared routes and timing sequences, the chaplain gathered his thoughts, praying for our success, and our deployers were packing in preparation for a long time away from home and families.
On "game day" all of our planning came together. Deployers and their families were met by Senior Airman Chandra Caddell, Log Plans Apprentice, who managed the deployment sequence with utmost precision. Colonels Bunting and Gilmour, Command Chief Long and Chaplain Magnus spent time with and spoke to every chalk, providing encouragement and thanking one and all for their service.
Tech Sgt. Jon Mullin, Vehicle Operations Craftsman and SrA Breyden Miller, Vehicle Operations Journeyman, ensured transportation requirements were solid and safely drove all PAX out to the aircraft. Staff Sgt. Stephanie Heath, Tech Sgt. Tyesha Francis and Senior Airman Aubree Sandburg delivered all inflight meals while boom operators briefed all passengers, maintenance readied all jets and ops executed preflight checklists.
As the last jet taxied out, I could not help but feel anxious; what seemingly ended months of planning for 30 seconds of air time was really only the beginning.
After all, when our jets land and the "Okies" get to work, the reality is it will continue to take "all of us" to defend our nations sovereignty and to protect our way of life. Lest we forget, we all play a part in that.