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Taking flight, Hoosier media tells Grissom's story

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Andrew McLaughlin
  • 434th ARW Public Affairs
GRISSOM AIR RESERVE BASE, Ind. --  Armed with cameras, recorders and notebooks, several Indiana media outlets converged on Grissom to learn about the 434th Air Refueling Wing and tell the story of the Hoosier Wing.

Both traditional and social media took part in a special media day here recently, which not only put some of them in the air to cover actual aerial refueling missions, but also gave them a behind-the-scenes look at Grissom's maintenance and support personnel who keep the mission going day in and day out.

"When you think of Air Force Reserve, you just think of weekends, but it's operating 24/7 constantly rotating people out," said Aric Hartvig, a local television producer.

The media who flew went up on two separate KC-135s, one refueling a C-5 Galaxy, the Air Force's largest transport aircraft, and the other with two A-10 Thunderbolt IIs, close air support aircraft.

They captured the 434th ARW in action as they spoke with pilots and crewmembers and observed an aerial refueling from the view of the aircraft's boom pod.

"It was awesome," said Hartvig, who witnessed the A-10 refueling. "Before I got to do this, I didn't realize people could refuel in air."

A special media team stayed on the ground to film the part of Grissom's mission that keeps the aircraft flying. They documented pilots training inside a KC-135 flight simulator, and filmed Airmen from the 434th Operations Support Squadron and the 434th Maintenance Squadron as they talked about their jobs and demonstrated their work.

The media team also got a close-up view of aircraft maintainers working on a KC-135 out on the flight line.

The media also saw the Grissom Fire Department in action as they conducted life-saving training. The firefighters ignited a mock aircraft frame used for fire training as the visitors watched from a safe distance but close enough to still feel the heat. The GFD used two firefighting trucks equipped with water cannons to extinguish the flames.

The visitors had a chance to tour the new $7.4 million air traffic control tower as well.

The 434th ARW is the largest KC-135R Stratotanker unit in the Air Force Reserve Command.

Stay connected with the 434th ARW on Facebook and Twitter.

(Senior Airman Jami K. Lancette, 434th ARW Public Affairs, contributed to this story.)

Public Affairs Staff

Material contained on the Official Grissom Air Reserve Base Internet Web Site is written and produced by members of the 434th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs Office. The award-winning staff includes:

Ben Mota
Chief, public affairs

Maj. Elias Zani
Public affairs officer

Master Sgt. Wendy Day
Staff writer

Tech. Sgt. Alexa Culbert
Staff writer

Senior Airman Elise Faurote
Staff writer

Senior Airman Benjamin Cowles
Staff writer