GOODFELLOW AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- Thirty-one San Angelo community leaders and several base action officers toured the base during the Air Force Community Partnership Civic Partner Base Tour and a quarterly update meeting on Jan. 23.
Goodfellow opened its gates to community leaders, showing them how the existing relationships between the two are working and also to discuss potential future growth with the city.
“We invited our community partners to Goodfellow Air Force Base to give them a deep dive and a tour of the activities and types of training that we conduct here,” said Col. Andres Nazario, 17th Training Wing commander. “It’s a small part of a broader strategy with the city. There’s no Goodfellow without the city of San Angelo.”
The tour included visiting multiple buildings on base, demonstrating what we do here with the ultimate goal of building on current community relations.
“For the Airmen to come here and be embraced by the community while they are learning intelligence or fire protection or any other training, the partnerships is really what makes this place feel like home,” said Chief Master Sgt. Lavor Kirkpatrick, 17th Training Wing command chief. “Everything matters in trying to make this place feel like home, so we can build the warriors that our nation needs for the future.”
Upon arriving to the Norma Brown building, the guests received the 17th Training Wing mission brief.
After the brief, the civic leaders popped into the 17th Medical Group. Goodfellow has the most medical agreements or collaborations of any AFCP base.
The civic leaders also had the opportunity to visit the Louis F. Garland Department of Defense Fire Academy to observe the training facility for joint emergency management and disaster response. Falling under the 312th Training Squadron, the fire academy is recipient of a Defense Economic Adjustment Assistance Grant for mobile fire pumps and advanced EMT manikins.
Next on the tour, the civic leaders engaged with the Department of Defense STARBASE program, which creates a STEM interest for local 5th grade students in the community.
An additional stop on the tour included the Resiliency Center. The newly formed Resiliency Center and Mental Health Working Group to fulfill the growing community and base needs. During the stop, the brief highlighted different relative agreements such as self-defense classes, Cassie’s Place dog visits, and Real Talks.
The tour concluded with a quarterly update meeting at the event center, hosting over 80 total military and civic attendees.
“We have tons of community relationships that impact our Airman and their families--soldiers and their families, and every military members and their families,” said Kirkpatrick. “This is our opportunity to say thank you and expose the community to the greatness happening on Goodfellow Air Force Base.”