Airmen showcase Grissom's mission at major airshow Published July 31, 2015 By By Tech. Sgt. Benjamin Mota 434th ARW Public Affairs DAYTON, Ohio -- While many people will never have the chance to fly a KC-135R Stratotanker or operate its boom pod, several can now say they know what it's like and a little more about the Air Force due to a group of volunteers from Grissom Air Reserve Base, Indiana. Eight Airmen from the 434th Air Refueling Wing volunteered to setup and operate Grissom's interactive flight deck and boom pod displays at the Dayton Vectron Airshow in Dayton, Ohio, June 20-21. Grissom members routinely take the displays on the road to open houses, air shows and events to share information about Grissom and the Air Force Reserve Command with audiences who may not otherwise have an opportunity to visit. "The flight deck and boom pod are designed as informational displays to help the public obtain a better understanding of Grissom's refueling mission," said Chief Master Sgt. Rob Herman, 434th ARW command chief. "Airmen from different career fields around the base attended the event to speak about their jobs in the Air Force Reserves and help set up, operate the displays, and inspire our future Citizen Airmen." Over the course of the two-day event, approximately 3,000 people toured the displays. "We stayed very busy throughout the entire event despite having rain for the majority of our first day," said Senior Master Sgt. Douglas Stogsdill, 434th Maintenance Squadron fabrications flight chief and event supervisor. "We had nothing but positive responses from people visiting the displays." For many, this experience was their first time to see inside of a military aircraft, yet alone experience aerial refueling from a boom operator or pilot's perspective. "This is absolutely amazing," said Bradley Warner, an airshow attendee, who brought his son Samuel Warner with him for the experience. "He absolutely loved seeing the plane approach to be refueled; I don't know which one of us was more excited." "Our portion of the event was a great success," said Herman. "It provided a great opportunity for us to highlight just a few of our outstanding Airmen from across functional areas of the wing. "The Boom Pod and Flight Deck are truly amazing; they're a testament to the skills and abilities of our Maintenance personnel," he concluded. The 434th ARW is the largest KC-135R unit in the Air Force Reserve Command. Airmen and aircraft from the 434th ARW routinely deploy around the world in support of the Air Force mission and U.S. strategic objectives. Stay connected with the 434th ARW on Facebook and Twitter.
