Dobbins hosts Pittsburgh Civic Leaders

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Elizabeth Van Patten
  • 94th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
DOBBINS AIR RESERVE BASE, Ga --  The 94th Airlift Wing welcomed 36 visitors from Pittsburgh Air Reserve Station, Pa. on Oct. 2-3 to Dobbins Air Reserve Base.

Members of the 911 AW, 171th Air Refueling Wing, Army Reserve personnel and Pittsburgh Civic Leaders arrived to tour the base and experience, first-hand, some of the many capabilities of the 94 AW and Dobbins tenants.

Col. Timothy E. Tarchick, 94 AW commander, was on hand to greet the guests when the Pittsburgh ARS C-130 Hercules landed.

"We're always glad to host other Air Force Reserve bases and their civic leaders to show off what joint capabilities exist here," said Tarchick. "We are a purple base, even though our name doesn't say so, with all the different Department of Defense agencies here, and we like to tell our story."

These tenants include Lockheed Martin, Headquarters 22nd Air Force, Headquarters Georgia Army National Guard and the Eastern Regional Flight Simulator.

During the first day, the group visited Lockheed Martin Marietta Plant 6 for a guided tour of the C-130J and C-5M production lines. Lockheed Martin officials also conducted briefings on the different aircraft the Air Force has contracted them to build.

The second day, the group attended breakfast at the Dobbins ARB Consolidated Club, where they met Maj. Gen. Wallace W. Farris Jr., 22 AF commander. Farris spoke about the overall mission of the 22 AF, which is a tenant organization on Dobbins ARB, and each of the 11 wings under the command.

Following breakfast, the visitors toured the Eastern Regional C-130 Simulator, where they not only tried their hands at "touch and go's," but also were given hands-on demonstrations with night vision goggles and emergency management equipment.

The group was also treated to a tour of the Georgia Army National Guard Headquarters, located just across the flightline from the 94 AW.

From there, the group was given a guided tour of an actual C-130H, by a 94 AW aircrew and members of the 94th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron.

Both the 911th and the 94th Airlift Wings have recently had Airmen return from large-scale deployments. Approximately 50 Airmen and two C-130s from the 911 AW returned from a four-month U.S. Southern Command deployment, and the 94 AW recently welcomed home over 100 Airmen and multiple C-130s from a four-month deployment in the Middle East.

Dobbins is currently planning a civic leader tour to Patrick Air Force Base, Fla., which is scheduled for late fall.