Tinker was so nice, they toured it twice.
The Tinker Air Force Base class of 2019 Honorary Commanders made a return trip to base April 17, where they were able to tour the 72nd Operations Support Squadron, which contains the base’s weather forecast and Airfield Management Operations offices. The group previously toured the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex on Feb. 27.
The tour started at the weather office, and rightfully so, as it appeared there was a strong chance of severe weather heading into the area.
However, Staff Sgt. Brandon Feister and the rest of the 72nd Operations Support Squadron Weather Flight, which included Airman 1st Class Race Gardner and Senior Airman Jenna Rogers, Matt Albertson, had positive news for the group.
“It looks like it’s going to miss us,” Rogers said.
The Honorary Commanders then took the less than 40-foot walk to the Airfield Management Operations office, where they were greeted by Airfield Manager Marc Bradley.
“This gives you an idea of how crowded the air actually is,” Bradley said pointing to the live ATC monitoring system. “This shows every plane on an IFR flight plan that is currently in the air in the entire U.S.”
The group was also able to see the near finished Tinker AFB air traffic control tower. The 125-foot structure is expected to be completed sometime in August.
The group continued their tour at the U.S. Navy’s Strategic Communications Wing ONE, where CAPT. Michael F. Black briefed them on the unit’s “Take Charge and Move Out” (TACAMO) mission of providing a strong communication link to the rest of the Navy’s fleet in the event of nuclear war. The Honorary Commanders were able to view the E-6 Mercury aircraft, a vital piece in ensuring that mantra is met.
The day ended with an overview of the 38th Cyberspace Engineering Installation Group, provided by 38th CEIG Commander Col. Todd Schug.