News

Military spouse appreciation night sheds light on wing mission

  • Published
  • By Josh Plueger
  • 55th Wing Public Affairs

Fifty-Fifth Wing military spouses participated in the first 55th Wing Spouse Appreciation Night on Dec. 7, giving them an exclusive look into the overall missions carried out by their active duty spouses.

 

The three-hour tour began at the parking lot of the 343rd Reconnaissance Squadron then proceeded onto the flight line where the evening was divided between two separate hangars.


The tour began with a mission briefing followed by a chance to pilot an RC-135 Rivet Joint aircraft simulator in the Operational Flight Trainer before ending with a guided aircraft tour.

 

 “For me, it is important that I can be a spokesman to express the genuine sense of gratitude to our husbands, wives and family on base for all that they do, and show them how they fit into the equation,” said Capt. Tim Kenny of the 338th Combat Training Squadron.

 

The most interactive portion of the tour was the flight simulator where spouses fly over the checkered, agrarian Nebraskan landscape prior to an attempted landing on the two-mile Offutt runway.

 

Cindy Wilson, wife of Senior Master Sgt. John Wilson of the 55th Security Forces Squadron said the flight simulator was, hands down, her favorite part of the evening.

The aircraft tour allowed the spouses to walk through the different compartments of the reconnaissance platform, to sit at the different work stations and to see the amenities aboard the Rivet Joint.

 

“I have a deeper insight and understanding of the different aircraft and value of their missions,” Cindy said.  “As a Security Forces spouse, I understand the mission is to protect. Now it makes sense exactly what they are protecting.”

 

The next spouse appreciation night is scheduled for March 2017 and will be held every three months following.