BEALE AIR FORCE BASE, Calif –
The 940th Wing hosted 26 members of the California Retired Teachers' Association for a tour of the Reserve unit during the Feb 9 Unit Training Assembly at Beale Air Force Base, Calif.
The tour introduced the former educators to Beale AFB and the unique missions of the 940th Wing.
"Civic tours are an important tool in building relationships between the community and the wing," said Colonel Kevin Cavanagh, 940th Wing Commander. "Without support from the local community, we would not be able to accomplish our mission."
Wing leadership greeted the group, and Cavanagh briefed them on the wing's command and control, intelligence, reconnaissance and surveillance missions.
Major Vincent Chiappone, a dentist with 940th Aerospace Medicine Squadron, also briefed the group, sharing his recent experiences providing medical services for humanitarian efforts around the world.
Following the briefings, the 940th Civil Engineering Flight demonstrated some of the heavy equipment used in construction projects, the proper wearing of Mission Oriented Protective Posture gear in a chemical environment and a water filtration system used to purify water in deployed locations.
The tour proceeded to the flightline for an up-close look at the remotely piloted Global Hawk, maintained and flown by the 13th Reconnaissance Squadron. A high-altitude, long-endurance platform, the RQ-4 provides intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, or ISR, capability worldwide.
For many of the tour participants this was their first chance to meet with members of the Reserve.
"It has been wonderful," said Georgianna Light, a member of the California Retired Teachers' Association. "There will be people from our organization who will wish they'd been able to be here for this tour."