Moses Lake stays connected to Fairchild Air Force Base

Workhorse: A dependable person who completes a lot of work. Also a dependable machine used to accomplish a lot of work.

Both definitions can be used to describe the airmen and aircraft stationed at Fairchild Air Force Base. The airmen include the pilots and boom operators who take the aircraft on missions around the world, but these women and men are backed by an entire base full of other airmen who make sure the men and women are ready to fly.

These include the cooks, finance personnel, air traffic controllers, security personnel, doctors, nurses and command personnel.

The aircraft is the KC-135 entered service with the United States Air Force in 1957. A number of these were stationed and flew assignments in support missions assigned to Larson Air Force Base in the 1960s.

Yes, these aircraft are still flying, thanks to the maintenance airmen, who take care of the aircraft from top to bottom and from the inside to the outside. The KC-135 is so old, the maintenance units need to hand-make or machine parts from time-to-time in order to keep a flying tanker in the air.

Garnet and I traveled to Fairchild last Tuesday for a ceremony, which takes place every two years; a change of command for the 92nd Air Refueling Wing.

The day was full of pomp and circumstance. Two KC-135 Stratotankers were angled toward the stage, so they, along with Hangers 1 and 3, comprised the backdrop for the ceremony.

Chairs were in front of the stage, with bleachers angled on the edge of the chairs. The Wing airmen were in formation, in back of and centered on the stage and chairs.

On the stage were three chairs and three or four airmen associated with the observance. There were several times when we were asked to stand and sit and listen to the three main players of the day; Lt. Gen. Samuel Cox, Col. Brian McDaniel and Col. Ryan Samuelson.

Cox is the Commander of the 18th Air force. His headquarters is at Scott Air Force, Illinois. He is responsible for the worldwide operational mission of providing rapid, global mobility and sustainment for America’s armed forces through airlift, aerial refueling, aeromedical evacuation and contingency response.

This three-star general has approximately 39,000 active-duty, National Guard, Reserve and civilian airmen and approximately 1,100 aircraft to manage the global air mobility enterprise through the tanker airlift control center, 11 wings and two standalone groups.

A change of command at the 92nd Air Refueling Wing was important and worthy of his attendance. After all he was the person to actually pass the command from one commander to the next.

We were in the audience when Col. Guemmer, now a Brigadier General, passed the 92nd to Col. Newberry and two years later when Newberry passed the unit to Col. McDaniel. Now, two years later, McDaniel was ready to pass the 92nd to col. Samuelson.

Lt. Gen. Cox said we were about to hear three sets of three words during the ceremony; Change of Command, Relinquish Command and Assume Command. All three sets have one main word, “Command.”

We watched as McCaniel saluted Cox and said, “Sir, I relinquish command.” Command Chief Master Sergeant Christian Pugh handed the Wing guidon to McDaniel and McDaniel passed it to Cox.

Next Samuelson stepped forward, saluted and said, “Sir, I assume command.” The guidon was then passed from Cox to Samuelson. The main part of the ceremony was complete, but there was a reception for the new commander and we visited with Cox a bit.

The importance of the 92nd should not be minimized. There are aircraft from this unit stationed all over the world. They are either in the air or on standby ready to “fuel the fight.”

The fighter pilots seem to take a lot of the glory for engaging enemy in the air or by bombing or strafing the enemy on the ground. The tanker units have a saying and they make sure the fighter pilots know and understand their job cannot be completed without being refueled by the tankers.

It is a great saying, with one risque word, so forgive me in advance. “There is no kick a-- without tanker gas.” I’ve heard all ranks say the phrase, from generals to Colonels to sergeants and entry-level airmen.

The other Honorary Commander from Moses Lake, Larry Godden, was also at the Change of Command. The two of us have been successful in scheduling a visit by each Fairchild Commander since 2011 to Moses Lake and the Port of Moses Lake. I was able to take Col. Guemmer to Rocky Ford Creek, where he caught a large trout, during one such visit.

These visits are important, so higher ranking Air Force officers are aware of the facilities available at the port and surrounding area. The port is working on contingency plans for the Air Force to use Grant County Airport for future training, because of one such visit.

So Col. Samuelson is our next target. Within the next year we will be working to have him visit Moses Lake. If an overnight stay is possible, we will schedule a civic group visit, such as Rotary, for him to meet local civic leaders. Plus attend a dinner at a local restaurant with local elected officials present.

Garnet and I headed for home and visited along the way. We came to the understanding, one we already knew, about the three higher ranking officers being the focus of the Change of Command, but the stars of the day were the aircraft and the airmen.