GOODFELLOW AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- The 17th Training Wing honorary commanders toured the 17th Training Group to better understand what students and instructors do daily at Goodfellow.
The day started off with a visit to downtown San Angelo to attend the 17th TRG annual awards ceremony and enjoy breakfast with members of Goodfellow. The honorary commanders were able to interact with the best that the group had to offer and participate in the celebrations.
“The honorary commander program allows community leaders to see what we do on a ground level,” said Col. Christopher Corbett, 17th TRW vice commander. “We want to make sure that our community doesn’t lose touch with what we do as a wing.”
The visit then transitioned to a tour of the 17th TRG where honorary commanders were briefed by the different training squadrons on their courses and their impact. They visited the 17th TRSS and saw a demonstration of the Instructional Technology Unit and virtual reality lab.
“I grew up out here, and I made a lot of trips to Goodfellow with my grandparents,” said 17th TRW Honorary Commander, Caitie Cannady, granddaughter of Ret. Col. Charles Powell. “I never got to be immersed like this. Getting to see what my grandfather dealt with on a daily basis and learning what his life might have been like is very special to me.”
They then toured the Louis F. Garland Department of Defense Fire Academy and met with several fire instructors and students who answered questions and gave them the full scope of what it is like to be a student training there every day.
“I had the privilege to handle the pressure of the firehose,” said 17th TRW Honorary Commander Ed Carrasco. “You realize to respect the pressure the students are under. I think building the bridge between Goodfellow and us is awesome.”