Meese pins on eagles Published April 11, 2018 By Senior Airman Harrison Withrow 434 ARW Public Affairs GRISSOM AIR RESERVE BASE, Ind. -- Airmen and family members witnessed a long-standing tradition as one of Grissom’s own pinned on eagles. Col. Dwight Meese, 434th Maintenance Group commander, was recently promoted to the rank of colonel in front of family, friends and peers at a ceremony held here, April 7, 2018. Col. Larry Shaw, 434th Air Refueling Wing commander, presided over the ceremony and expressed his gratitude for the new colonel’s outstanding service. “Under his leadership, we received the 2017 Aircraft Maintenance Effectiveness Award,” said Shaw. Meese, who enlisted as a C-130 Hercules mechanic in 1991, took a moment to share his story with the audience. “Back in 1995, the first thing on my mind was getting out of the military,” he said. “As time went on in the civilian world, I realized something was missing, and that was the camaraderie and the feeling of being part of something bigger than myself. “That feeling was what brought me to the Air Force Reserve,” Meese said. Meese received his commission in 2000 and came to Grissom as the MXG commander in 2017. “I haven’t had a pin-on since my parents pinned my lieutenant bars on me 18 years ago, so I figured it was time for some sort of ceremony,” he said. “It’s not for me, it’s for my parents, my wife, my mentors and everyone who has sacrificed so that I could be here today.” The history of the prestigious rank dates back to around 1505, when the Spanish King Ferdinand reorganized part of his army into twenty units called colunelas. These consisted of about 1000 to 1,250 men further organized into companies with their commander being named a coronel. The French, and later the British, adopted the title, and although initially retaining the original Spanish pronunciation, the British soon used the pronunciation of “kernel” we’re familiar with today. The eagle insignia led to the informal term ‘full bird colonel.’ The 434th ARW is the largest KC-135R Stratotanker unit in the Air Force Reserve Command. The Citizen Airmen from the Hoosier Wing routinely deploy around the world in support of the Air Force mission. Stay connected with the 434th ARW on Facebook and Twitter.
