A team from the Nebraska Air National Guard left Tuesday, Jan. 17, for Washington, D.C., to take part in the inauguration activities for the nation’s 45th Commander-in-Chief.
Ten Airmen from the 155th Air Refueling Wing are involved in the mission, nine of which are from the Nebraska Air National Guard’s 155th Force Support Squadron tasked with augmenting and assisting food support for the thousands of National Guard Soldiers and Airmen assisting with the 58th Presidential Inauguration in Washington, D.C.
“I think it’s a great opportunity to provide almost a direct support to the Commander-in-Chief,” said Tech. Sgt. Joshua Triplett, 155th ARW FSS. “There is not a lot of opportunity for our Guard Soldiers and Airmen to provide this level of direct support, so we’re honored to have the ability to work with joint forces and other military branches to coordinate all on a national scale with other units.”
The unit traveled to Washington, D.C., with a Single Pallet Expeditionary Kitchen, which can be set up and operational in three hours or less with just a handful of Airmen. The SPEK is powered by a diesel generator and requires no external utility support. The 155th FSS unit will prepare roughly 500 meals eight times over the course of they stay.
This is the second time the 155th FSS has supported the Presidential Inauguration. Of the 10 Airmen participating this year, three attended the inauguration in 2012.
“This time we know more of what to expect and we’ve planned appropriately,” Triplett said. “It’s a great opportunity for our younger Airmen to get real-world experience and training on a larger, domestic scale. The experience itself is almost invaluable for our unit.”
In total, more than 7,500 National Guard Soldiers and Airmen, from 44 states, three territories and the District of Columbia, will serve with the specially created Joint Task Force – District of Columbia. The District of Columbia National Guard created JTF - DC in response to requests for assistance from local and federal agencies in the National Capital Region. As a whole, National Guard Soldiers and Airmen will augment the U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Capitol Police and D.C. Metropolitan Police forces on a range of support, including traffic control, crowd management, logistics and communication.
National Guard support to presidential inaugurations dates to April 30, 1789, when local militia members (today’s National Guard) joined the U.S. Army and revolutionary war veterans to form an honor detail and escort Gen. George Washington to his inauguration ceremony in New York City from Mount Vernon, Va. Over the years, National Guard involvement has grown and is designated to honor the commander-in-chief, recognize civilian control of the military, and celebrate democracy.
| Date Taken: | 01.19.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 01.19.2017 09:46 |
| Story ID: | 220642 |
| Location: | LINCOLN, NE, US |
| Web Views: | 37 |
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