Honorary commanders take first hand look

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. John Bainter
  • 1st Special Operations Wing Public Affairs
HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. --  Honorary commanders watched from a safe distance with night-vision scopes, as a AC-130U Spooky gunship flew overhead firing a 25 mm Gatling gun rounds and 105 mm shells at training targets during a live-fire exercise on the Eglin Range, located on Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., May 21.

The event is one of the many attended by honorary commanders - civic and community leaders from the local area, as part of the Hurlburt Field Honorary Commanders Program.

The program, which launched in 2004, has given more than 60 local community members a chance to peak behind the gates of Hurlburt since its beginning - giving them a firsthand look at day-to-day operations performed by Air Commandos.

The program is also designed to educate community leaders about the Air Force and the base so that they can convey our mission to the public and be our ambassadors in the community.

"As a community leader, I'm looking forward to opportunities to bridge the gap between understanding the work the military does and what we do in the community." said Robert Williamson, honorary commander for the 505th Command and Control Group. "For me, as a business owner, every time I step into your world I learn something from a leadership perspective, and I learn something I can apply in my business and in the community."

Community leaders receive a distinguished visitor's access to the base during their one-year tenure as an honorary commander. As an honorary commander, they are encouraged to attend award and medal presentations, Airmen Leadership School graduations and holiday parties with their respective units to get the full military experience. They are also invited to attend Operation Homecomings to welcome home deployed service members.

"It's such an important thing to have the connection between the local community and the military, and we can facilitate helping the community understand what the military is all about." said Peggy Brockman, the honorary commander for the 1st Special Operations Group.