KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- Even though rain was pouring across southern Mississippi most of the day Thursday, the sound of jet engines still echoed across Keesler Air Force Base when a C-17 Globemaster III landed with visitors from the 315th Airlift Wing out of Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina.
The 315th Airlift Wing is a reserve unit that collaborates with the base’s active duty wing, the 437th Airlift Wing, to provide a large part of Air Mobility Command's Global Reach airlift capability. Visitors to Keesler included wing leaders, civilian employers of traditional reservists assigned to the 315th and civic leaders from the Charleston area.
While here, visitors had the opportunity to visit the Air Force Reserve’s 403rd Wing and the active component’s 81st Training Wing. They saw the air traffic control training simulator at 334th Training Squadron, learned about the Hurricane Hunter mission at the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, viewed a WC-130J and C-130J aircraft under maintenance at the isochronal inspection dock, and watched a demonstration of how to prepare a Humvee for an air drop at the 41st Aerial Port Squadron.
Col. Caroline Evernham, 315th Operations Group commander, said tours like this are important because they show civic leaders and employers what they’re supporting and gives them an idea of what goes on in the Air Force even beyond the mission at Joint Base Charleston.
“A lot of civilian employers are unaware of the duty to which we dedicate ourselves. Bringing them out here sheds light on what we do and how important it is,” Master Sgt. Shutasica Irby, 41st APS, said.
Not only do tours give employers and community leaders an idea of what they support, they also provide an opportunity to spread the word about the employment opportunities available in the Air Force and Air Force Reserve.
“I had no idea how many jobs were available in the Air Force,” Greg DeLuca, a business owner in Charleston, said.
Today, the C-17’s jet engines roared again as the visitors from the 315th headed back to Charleston with a deeper understanding of the Air Force Reserve and why their support of military members matters.
Gary Metts, criminal justice department-head at Charleston Southern University, for one, said that after his visit he’s going to take a lot of knowledge back and share it with the young people at his university.