An anniversary week in review

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SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. --  It started months ago, but what had once been only in the planning stages came to fruition Oct. 17-23 as the 916th Air Refueling Wing celebrated 25 years of re-activation.

On Tuesday, Oct. 18, pilots from the 916th Air Refueling Wing talked live, on-air with one of Raleigh's most popular morning programs, Bob and the Showgram on G105. The active duty and reserve tanker pilots joked with the morning show DJs that would take a flight with them the very next day.

On Wednesday, Oct. 19, leadership from the Durham Bulls and Clear Channel radio came here to see up-close what the 916th's mission is all about. The DJs recorded messages about their experiences that were posted on the wing's website.

On Thursday, Oct. 20 the wing opened its doors to the community as more than 200 people participated in the Business After Hours event held in the wing's corrosion control hangar. Guests were able to go inside a tanker, see Security Forces equipment, look at the cockpit of an F-15E and enjoy time with others from the Goldsboro community. A highlight of the evening was the unveiling of the wing's 25th anniversary noseart on a KC-135R. The winning design came from Senior Airman Eric Heiling who entered his noseart in the competition in August.

Friday Oct. 21 was about honoring those who served and serve in the 916th. A current member/alumni luncheon was held along with a golf tournament. Reservists who had been a part of the wing in 1986 came back to see old friends and reminisce about the wing over the years.

Saturday Oct. 22 showcased the wing to executives from Lowe's, Bank of America and Waste Industries, along with several other organizations. A dozen leaders of industry came for the wing's Reservist for a Day program in which they flew the KC-135R simulator, witnessed a weapons demonstration, toured maintenance backshops and were able to view statics of a KC-135R and F-15E on the flightline. In addition, leadership from the State Employees Federal Credit Union came that morning to have a photo taken in front of a KC-135R for being selected as the Secretary of Defense's Freedom Award recipients for their efforts in working with their Guard and Reserve workforce.

Sunday Oct. 23 held the final event as more than 175 Airmen turned out to participate in the wing's semi-annual Warrior Run. The two-mile walk/run was a festive event this time as Airmen dressed in costume and competed for prizes.

In addition, the wing hosted a special social media event on its Facebook and Website in which celebrities, professional athletes, military leaders and legislators wished the wing well and thanked the Airmen for their service. More than 50 video shout-outs were recorded from across the nation to honor the 916th on 25 years of service. The videos on the Website are available for viewing till November 1, 2011.