403rd Wing hosts Employer Appreciation Day

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Christopher Carranza
  • 403rd Wing Public Affairs

Reserve Citizen Airmen usually wear multiple hats when it comes balancing a military and a civilian career.

When an Airman has to leave their civilian career to serve their country, their employers may not fully understand why or what mission their employee is supporting.

To answer some of these questions, the 403rd Wing hosted an Employer Appreciation Day event, Nov. 2, for the civilian employers of Reserve Citizen Airmen at Keesler Air Force Base, Miss.

The Employer Appreciation Day event serves to educate employers on the value of their Reserve Citizen Airmen’s time away from their civilian workplaces. It is an opportunity for them to see the 403rd Wing mission firsthand.

“I’ve never experienced anything dealing with the military,” said Tinka Barrios, a clinical manager at West Jefferson Medical Center. “Being able to see what you all do has really opened my eyes to the military and the Air Force.” 

Throughout the day, employers received mission briefs from the wing’s flying units. This included the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, where they learned about the Hurricane Hunters and their weather data-gathering mission, the 815th Airlift Squadron “Flying Jennies” and their tactical airlift and airdrop capabilities, and the 36th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, which displayed their care in the air, life-saving skills aboard an aircraft static display.

The employers also toured the 403rd Fabrication Flight, where aircraft structural maintenance and metals technology reside, and the 403rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron’s propulsion shop, where they were able to learn about the importance of aircraft maintenance for sustaining the flying missions. 

The event ended with a flight aboard a WC-130J Super Hercules aircraft along the Gulf Coast. The experience left bosses with a better understanding and appreciation for their employee’s support to the 403rd Wing.     

“I had no idea of all that happens on Keesler or the missions that our employee [Senior Master Sgt. Joshua Devin, 403rd Security Forces Squadron] supported,” said Mark Sloke, the U.S. Marshal for the Southern District of Alabama. “This was an incredible experience, we are very grateful for the opportunity to visit with the men and women serving and being able to share the day with them.”