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Goodfellow | 17th TRW honorary commanders: students for a day

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Ethan Sherwood
  • 17th Training Wing Public Affairs
GOODFELLOW AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  

The 17th Training Wing honorary commanders toured the 17th Training Group to better understand what students and instructors do daily at Goodfellow. 

The day started off with a visit to downtown San Angelo to attend the 17th TRG annual awards ceremony and enjoy breakfast with members of Goodfellow. The honorary commanders were able to interact with the best that the group had to offer and participate in the celebrations. 

17th Training Wing honorary commanders take a final photo at the Louis F. Garland Department of Defense Fire Academy, Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, Jan. 25, 2023. Their immersion with the 17th Training Group culminated in a tour of the Louis F. Garland Department of Defense Fire Academy. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Ethan Sherwood)

17th TRW Honorary Commanders: students for a day

17th Training Wing honorary commanders take a final photo at the Louis F. Garland Department of Defense Fire Academy, Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, Jan. 25, 2023. Their immersion with the 17th Training Group culminated in a tour of the Louis F. Garland Department of Defense Fire Academy. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Ethan Sherwood)
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17th Training Wing honorary commanders visit one of the trainers used at the 312th Training Squadron, Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, Jan. 25, 2023. The 312th TRS showcased their SPINSTRA classrooms and capabilities before transferring to the fire academy. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Ethan Sherwood)

17th TRW Honorary Commanders: students for a day

17th Training Wing honorary commanders visit one of the trainers used at the 312th Training Squadron, Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, Jan. 25, 2023. The 312th TRS showcased their SPINSTRA classrooms and capabilities before transferring to the fire academy. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Ethan Sherwood)
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17th Training Wing Honorary Commander Scott Creecy uses an HTC Vive virtual reality headset at the 17th Training Support Squadron’s Instructional Technology Unit on Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, Jan. 25, 2023. Honorary commanders were immersed in the 17th Training Group and their training mission on Goodfellow. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Ethan Sherwood)

17th TRW Honorary Commanders: students for a day

17th Training Wing Honorary Commander Scott Creecy uses an HTC Vive virtual reality headset at the 17th Training Support Squadron’s Instructional Technology Unit on Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, Jan. 25, 2023. Honorary commanders were immersed in the 17th Training Group and their training mission on Goodfellow. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Ethan Sherwood)
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“The honorary commander program allows community leaders to see what we do on a ground level,” said Col. Christopher Corbett, 17th TRW vice commander. “We want to make sure that our community doesn’t lose touch with what we do as a wing.”

The visit then transitioned to a tour of the 17th TRG where honorary commanders were briefed by the different training squadrons on their courses and their impact. They visited the 17th TRSS and saw a demonstration of the Instructional Technology Unit and virtual reality lab. 

“I grew up out here, and I made a lot of trips to Goodfellow with my grandparents,” said 17th TRW Honorary Commander, Caitie Cannady, granddaughter of Ret. Col. Charles Powell. “I never got to be immersed like this. Getting to see what my grandfather dealt with on a daily basis and learning what his life might have been like is very special to me.”

They then toured the Louis F. Garland Department of Defense Fire Academy and met with several fire instructors and students who answered questions and gave them the full scope of what it is like to be a student training there every day. 

“I had the privilege to handle the pressure of the firehose,” said 17th TRW Honorary Commander Ed Carrasco. “You realize to respect the pressure the students are under. I think building the bridge between Goodfellow and us is awesome.”

A 17th Training Wing honorary commander uses extraction tools to take off a car door at the Louis F. Garland Department of Defense Fire Academy, Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, Jan. 25, 2023. The Honorary Commander Program is used to immerse local community leaders in Goodfellow’s mission. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Ethan Sherwood)

17th TRW Honorary Commanders: students for a day

A 17th Training Wing honorary commander uses extraction tools to take off a car door at the Louis F. Garland Department of Defense Fire Academy, Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, Jan. 25, 2023. The Honorary Commander Program is used to immerse local community leaders in Goodfellow’s mission. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Ethan Sherwood)
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17th Training Wing Honorary Commander Trey Holmes dons protective gear before participating in vehicle extraction at the Louis F. Garland Department of Defense Fire Academy, Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, Jan. 25, 2023. The 312th Training Squadron exposed the honorary commanders to fire training to show what daily life is like on base. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Ethan Sherwood)

17th TRW Honorary Commanders: students for a day

17th Training Wing Honorary Commander Trey Holmes dons protective gear before participating in vehicle extraction at the Louis F. Garland Department of Defense Fire Academy, Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, Jan. 25, 2023. The 312th Training Squadron exposed the honorary commanders to fire training to show what daily life is like on base. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Ethan Sherwood)
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17th Training Wing Honorary Commander Heather Kumpe uses a fire hose at the Louis F. Garland Department of Defense Fire Academy, Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, Jan. 25, 2023. Kumpe and other honorary commanders tried their hands at various tasks students are asked to complete in order to graduate from the fire school. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Ethan Sherwood)

17th TRW Honorary Commanders: students for a day

17th Training Wing Honorary Commander Heather Kumpe uses a fire hose at the Louis F. Garland Department of Defense Fire Academy, Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, Jan. 25, 2023. Kumpe and other honorary commanders tried their hands at various tasks students are asked to complete in order to graduate from the fire school. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Ethan Sherwood)
Photo Details / Download Hi-Res