1 SOW spouses go into the wild blue yonder

Col. Sean Farrel, 1st Special Operations Wing commander, gives a mission brief during spouse flight day at Hurlburt Field, Fla., Oct. 17, 2015. The spouse flight day allowed Airmen’s spouses an opportunity to see what they do on a day-to-day basis and understand the 1st SOW mission (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Jeff Parkinson)

1 SOW spouses go into the wild blue yonder

Published Oct. 19, 2015
By Senior Airman Jeff Parkinson
1st Special Operations Wing Public Affairs

HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. -- More than 300 military spouses received an opportunity, Oct. 17, to spend a day in their loved one’s shoes and see how the men and women of 1st Special Operations Wing operate, here.

Two and a half years since the last spouse flight day, 1st SOW leadership saw an opportunity to create an environment for Airmen and their families to thrive.

“We were talking amongst the Airmen within the 1st SOW and got the sense that they really had a desire to show their families what they do,” said Col. Thomas Palenske, 1st SOW vice commander. “So, we looked at it and thought this would be a great way to show them.”

The spouses had the chance to fly in either an MC-130H Combat Talon II, AC-130U Spooky, CV-22B Osprey or a PC-12 aircraft giving them a first-hand look at what their families do.

The spouse flight not only provided them a first-hand look at the 1st SOW mission, but also showed them why there is the need for intense training that often takes their military member away from home.

“Today, I got to fly in an AC-130 and got to see a lot of things I didn’t know my husband did,” said Tammy Reiff, military spouse. “I definitely have a lot more respect for what they do after today.”