Wing hosts Employer Appreciation Day

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Deborah Robinson
  • 512th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  Nearly 40 employers of 512th Airlift Wing reservists participated in Employer Appreciation Day Nov. 1 here. 

The event, cosponsored by the Delaware Committee of the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, is designed to give employers a taste of what it's like to be a Citizen Airman. To gain insight into the life of an Air Force reservist, the employers were given a first-hand look at the training and duties required of a servicemember. 

Col. Randal L. Bright, 512th AW commander, began the day with an actual enlistment ceremony for a new recruit at The Landings. The employers then participated in a mock enlistment ceremony, where they became Airmen for a day. 

The newly appointed Airmen were given a presentation of how new trainees become qualified servicemembers. The presentations included a physical fitness assessment, a description of Air Force career fields and the proper way to wear chemical warfare gear.
Once the presentations were finished, the employers were taken on a tour of the base.
Stops on the way included a military working dog facility, where the employers watched a demonstration and a visit to the aerial port, where they learned how cargo is processed and shipped worldwide. 

"I always wondered how supplies got on base," said John Condron, the assistant maintenance director at Emory Hill Real Estate, Del. "I never saw any trucks coming in or out of the base." 

The day concluded with a C-17 orientation flight along the eastern seaboard to New York, where some of the employers caught a glimpse of Niagra Falls. 

In addition to visiting the flight deck and cargo bay, the employers were able to experience a combat take-off, a negative g-force during descent, a 60 degree turn and a combat landing, where the aircraft makes a complete stop after only 800 feet of landing. 

"The view from the cockpit was definitely an experience of a lifetime," said Dr. Marge White, the chief operations officer at Delaware Hospice. "I'm so grateful I was invited." 

By day's end, employers left with more insight into the role of Liberty Wing reservists. 

"I didn't have a clue about Della's job before," said Dr. White, an employer who was invited by Staff Sgt. Della Miller, 512th Maintenance Squadron. "I'm so proud of her now that I know what she really does."