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Make-A-Wish families enjoy time with Thunderbirds ahead of Grissom airshow

Tech. Sgt. Timothy Baker, 434th Air Refueling Wing Civil Engineer explosive ordnance disposal technician, gives children from the Make-A-Wish foundation a chance at the controls of a robot from his shop, Sept. 6, 2019.  Four children from the Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana region of the organization came to Grissom to spend time with the Thunderbirds ahead of the Grissom Air and Space Expo Sept. 7-8, 2019.

Tech. Sgt. Timothy Baker, 434th Air Refueling Wing Civil Engineer explosive ordnance disposal technician, gives children from the Make-A-Wish foundation a chance at the controls of a robot from his shop, Sept. 6, 2019. Four children from the Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana region of the organization came to Grissom to spend time with the Thunderbirds ahead of the Grissom Air and Space Expo Sept. 7-8, 2019.

GRISSOM AIR RESERVE BASE --

The high flying Thunderbirds came to a halt on Sept. 6, 2019 for a very special reason-the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Four children from the Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana Make-A-Wish organization came to Grissom to spend time on the base, and with the famous Thunderbirds ahead of the Grissom Air and Space Expo Sept. 7-8, 2019.

Make-A-Wish is a non-profit organization that grants wishes to children diagnosed with critical illnesses.

The event was an opportunity for the families to witness a portion of the show, without a large crowd, environmental stressors or barriers.

"It’s such a great opportunity for them to be a family and not have to worry about other things,” said Haley Mahan, development associate with Make-A-Wish.

Prior to practice, participating families had lunch with wing leadership while listening to music from the Air Force Band of mid-America.

Explosive ordnance technicians from the 434th Civil Engineering Squadron provided a robot for demonstrations, and gave the children a chance at the controls.

Crews from Hurlburt Field, Florida opened up an AC-130U Spooky gunship, flown in for the air show, giving the families a private tour.

“This was so fun for them,” said Mahan. “They saw a lot of great things and it’s been a great experience.”

Equipped with hearing protection, model F-16 planes and smiles, the children camped out near the flight line to watch the aerial maneuvers and stunts that make the Thunderbirds so unique.

After the practice, members of the Thunderbirds held a meet and greet, where they took pictures and chatted with the families.

“I think it’s nice that they reached out and they included our whole family,” said Lauren Dewitt, a parent from Ft. Wayne, Ind. “It was really nice and the kids loved it.”

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.

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:



Douglas Hays
Chief, public affairs

Maj. Neil Samson
Public affairs officer

Ben Mota
Public affairs operations chief

Staff Sgt. Josh Weaver
NCOIC of public affairs

Tech. Sgt. Jami Lancette
Staff writer

Staff Sgt. Chris Massey
Staff writer

Staff Sgt. Courtney Dotson-Essett
Staff writer

Senior Airman Michael Hunsaker
Staff writer

Senior Airman Jeremy Blocker
Staff writer

Airman 1st Class Harrison Withrow
staff writer