Photo By Senior Airman Stormy Archer | Members of the John Jay High School Drill Team perform during Air Education and...... read more read more
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JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas -- Air Education and Training Command celebrated its heritage Jan. 23 with a 75th Anniversary Extravaganza at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph.
AETC was founded as the U.S. Air Corps Flying Training Command Jan. 23, 1942, prior to the birth of the Air Force. Since then, the first command has taken America’s sons and daughters and forged them into professional Airmen.
“The legacy of AETC is a proud one, a story of men and women of genius and of innovation,” said Lt. Gen. Darryl Roberson, AETC commander.
“We are the first command and the foundation of airpower for America,” Roberson continued. “Airpower truly does start right here.”
Delaine Mathieu, News 4 San Antonio co-anchor and master of ceremonies, gave opening remarks to kick off the extravaganza.
“Today, AETC continues to build on its incredible heritage and on the sacrifices of early aviation pioneers, like the Airmen who flew balloons and gliders, the seat-of-the-pants pilots who learned to fly before there was an AETC, the innovators who championed new processes like blind pilot flying before there were navigation instruments and aerial refueling, and the leaders who helped develop and implement airpower doctrine,” said Mathieu.
Gen. (Ret.) Hal Hornburg, 27th commander of AETC; Gen. (Ret.) Donald Cook, 28th commander of AETC; Gen. (Ret.) Edward Rice Jr., 30th commander of AETC; and Chief Master Sgt. David Staton, AETC command chief, were also in attendance and gave speeches during the ceremony.
“The very foundation of a professional force is training, and education is required to make the training relevant, to give it purpose, to give it structure, to give it vision,” said Rice Jr. “Those two things that this command does, training and education, are the very foundation of every great professional military force that has ever existed and will exist. What you do is timeless and will continue to endure.”
Also in attendance was honored guest Lt. Col. (Ret.) Dick Cole, World War II veteran and Doolittle Raider.
The event included performances from Air Force Band of the West, the Randolph High School band and choir, the John Jay High School Drill Team and the posting of the colors by the Heritage Ceremonial Guard.
| Date Taken: | 01.23.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 01.23.2017 19:32 |
| Story ID: | 221093 |
| Location: | UNIVERSAL CITY, TX, US |
| Web Views: | 65 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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