GOODFELLOW AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- Members from Leadership San Angelo came to Goodfellow to see beyond the gate and witness Goodfellow’s mission during their base tour on April 11.
This is the 36th year the program has been operating. During that time the goal has been to give interested individuals with leadership potential the opportunity to develop their knowledge. The classes develop community knowledge by attending a series of 10 one-day sessions, which includes Goodfellow.
“The curriculum of the program is that we learn all about San Angelo so the future leaders can know what is going on and how things work in the community,” said Chamber of Commerce Director of Membership and Operations, Heather Kumpe. “We can’t have a program like this without visiting Goodfellow, because it is such an integral part of the San Angelo community.”
The tour began with a wing mission brief to give the guests a brief overview of what Goodfellow does every day and how it impacts the Air Force and all Department of Defense installations.
“Some comments that I heard from the group was that they didn’t know that this was a mixed base, and they didn’t know that the Marines, Army and Navy are all here,” said Kumpe. “It was eye opening for them to hear that everybody trains here.”
While at the Louis F. Garland Fire Academy, the class was also informed about the latest partnerships with San Angelo. Thanks to the relationship with the community, Goodfellow was able to purchase mobile fire pumps, each pump allowing two firetrucks to rejoin the fleet.
“We invite Leadership San Angelo participants to Goodfellow primarily to further strengthen our existing relationship by providing a glimpse of what the 17th Training Wing’s mission entails,” said Lt. Col. Abraham Salomon, 17th Training Group deputy commander. “It is crucial for the community that we reside in, and more importantly serve, to understand the role of Goodfellow. This immersion is just one way to educate the community, families, and next-generation of U.S. Armed Forces members, of the demands of military service.”
Goodfellow welcomed the Leadership San Angelo class to provide the class with an insight into the base’s operations so the future leaders of San Angelo can see how the partnerships help each other and maybe spark a new idea that members in the class may have.
“Our relationship is founded on the basis of a mutual respect for each other and a desire to serve others,” said Salomon. “Team Goodfellow and the city of San Angelo is unique, because we are able to strengthen our ties through immersions, similar to this, which are truly focused on learning more about each other. In doing so, we inherently learn to appreciate the value each brings to the fight!”