BEALE AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. –
The World War II-era POW Museum on Beale Air Force Base was the first stop for a group of local residents visiting the 940th Operations Group on Dec 16, 2010.
Most members of the group had visited the base before, but only a handful knew about the historical site located on the fringes of the main base.
Even fewer in the group had seen the elusive RQ-4 Global Hawk. A static display of the aircraft and its predecessor, the U-2 Dragonlady, were the second stop on the tour. Briefers from the 13th Reconnaissance Squadron and the 50th Intelligence Squadron were on hand to answer questions about the aircrafts' military capabilities and humanitarian contributions.
The third and final stop on the tour was a visit to the 1st Reconnaissance Squadron where Global Hawk pilots are trained.
"I'm reminded of the quote, 'Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.' This is even better than I imagined," said tour participant Richard Garmire as he emerged from a simulator.
(U.S. Air Force photo/Dana Lineback)