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Show Jul ' j0 1 Closing ceremony honors Kelly's pride, dedication by Tech Sgt. Carl Norman KI.I J.Y ALU. Texas (AFMC'NS) - Sme wijd away tears, some choked them back, but all of the nearly 2.0)0 people attending the Friday San Antonio Air logistics O uter closing cer- emony here saw one aviation era end and another begin. Brig. Gen. KolxrtMnrdock. current All.' com- r tivating the unit, encasing the organization's flag and lowering the American flag for the last time as an Air Force base miliending the base' tary history. Military and civilian officials 'V- - 85-ye- ushered in another Kelly era by raising a new American flag along with a KellyUSA flag. But honoring the proud way Kelly people tackled the closure process was the h ading theme throughout the day's ceremony. This "Kelly I'i ide" is something Murdock said pie received 17 Defense Department, Air Force awards and 85 l and major command individual awards. "Words are really inadequate to describe and capture the significance of this base and this organization and to show appreciation for the things people have done ," he said. During the ceremony. Air Force officials honored the Kelly people w ith the Organizational Kxcellence Award for completing what officials call the most complex Base Clo sure and Realignment initiative in Defense Department history. The award citation read that San Antonio Air Logistics Center workers transferred work load, personnel, equipment and materiel to other ALCs while at the same time transitioning tenants, people, equipment and property to Lackland AFB, ,J f ' unit-leve- AFMC Public Affairs mander, conducted the tradi tional military ceremonies of relinquishing command, inac- - X,- - Retired Lt Col. Joseph Marsilio was master of ceremonies at the Friday base closure ceremony at Kelly AFB, Texas. Marsilio is the former chief of Manpower at he'd remember most. "During this most difficult time, we've showed the world what dedication, hard work, effort and, most of all. Kelly I'ride is all about." he said. "Kelly pride has taught me that no mission or job is bigger than the people giving their all to complete it. To the finest professionals I've eVer known, I thank you and I salute you," he said. Then he took center stage, sharply saluted the crowd and sat down. Kelly. Texas Senator Kay Bailey I lutchinson, echoed Murdock's praise. "When I was given the (closure) decision, I told our leaders that we've been given a lemon, so let's get out the reciX' for lemonade," Hutchinson said during the ceremony. "You've made lemonade." Gen. I.yles. Air Force Materiel Command's top leader, said this ceremony is a bittersweet moment and applauded Kelly's people for their dedication and commitment. "We all knew this event and this day was coming, but it's hard to reconcile and really understand and accept the total significance of them," he said. "But Kelly Air Force Base isn't about airframes, engines or the thousands of commodities that were maintained or supplied from here, it's always been about people." He told the past and present Kelly employees attending that they were heroes and lauded their many awards since the closure announcement came six years ago. Since 1995, Kelly peo- - ii. - " v ; ftV 'W. r- - .K. I - ' molded Installation Restoration Program partnerships with federal and Texas environmental regulators and the local community to transfer the largest industrial complex in the south- western United States. Although the closing ceremony is in the history books, government officials still actually own Kelly property and will until federal and state environmental regulators OK remedies for the installation's 30 sites that need environmental clean-up- , according to federal law provisions. KellyUSA has entered into a lease with the Air Force so they can put their development plan in motion. The Air Force is leaving behind its largest staff that we have at any closure base," said Fred Kuhn, deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for manpower, reserve affairs, installations and environment during a news conference after the ceremony. He said Air Force officials have spent about $250 million for environmental clean up to date. Current plans call for an additional $250 mil50-ye- lion to put final remedies and monitoring processes in place. "Every base closure is difficult and every one is complex," Kuhn said. "Not that we can't get through it, but, the perceptions of those who live in the vicinity are that no matter what you do, how much you spend or how much the science shows that everything's OK, they just don't believe it." He said his advice for skeptics is to "just stay and watch." "We've got people on this base who are com- - ill iM Photo by Staff Sgt. Jeffory S. Mulcahy An American flag that had flown over the grave of Lt George E.M. Kelly was lowered for the final time during the Kelly AFB, Texes, closure ceremony. Kelly, the base's namesake, was the first military pilot killed In a crash of a military aircraft As the flag was folded, the roar of 75 mm Howitzers echoed across the base in a salute honoring base employees. 21-g- mitted and will talk about what we're going to do in the future and what we've done in the past," Kuhn said. "We're not gone, we're here" for the duration. Kelly is the second AFMC air logistics center closed in the first half of 2001. Both Kelly and the Sacramento Air Logistics Center at the former McClellan AFB, Calif., officially closed July 13. McClellan conducted their closure ceremony in April and that has had its ramifications, according to Lyles. These closures have "obviously had a tremendous impact on our ability to support the warfighter, which is our primary job," Lyles said. "Closing the ALCs were very tough things to overcome, but we've found people are the key to success in any sort of endeavor. The people at Sacramento, just as the people here in San Antonio, rallied around the effort, closed and completed the mission with dignity and pride." But more importantly, he said, They saw that the workloads were transitioned and could continue on at other logistics centers. So this Kelly pride everyone was talking about continues. It may be at other locations, but it's making a difference for what we are doing for our team s dedicated legacy paign and Air Force Assistance Fund drive in recent years. They also surged maintenance activity to help keep aircraft operational during the conflict in Kosovo and won several Defense Department, Air Force and major command by Tech Sgt. Carl Norman AFMC Public Affairs KELLY AFB, Texas (AFMCNS) - When the San Antonio Air Logistic Center flag was cased awards since the closure was ' -- r ' 25-ye- ar uary 2001. "I've got mixed emotions about Kelly closing," Martinez said. "At first there's a feeling of sadness because Kelly has been a part of this area and community for 85 years." This was "a time many families were able to move ahead by virtue of not only an occupation that gave them a livelihood, but that occupation provided the livelihood to also move into the education arena for their children." Martinez said her fondest memories of Kelly include watching generations grow up here. You could be "working side by side with a parent of someone who may have worked with you at some point," she said. "Or maybe it's the son or daughter of someone you knew in your career or the relative of someone who you have a very special friendship with here. "Generation after generation relied on Kelly and entered into a partnership where they were able to secure the economic stability to maintain their families," she said. "My fondest memory is knowing that now these families who contributed to this partnership and the mission of this base in its heyday all came about because of the commitment these two partners made a long time ago." Helms said one word that comes to his mind when describing Kelly's people is tenacity. Especially when it comes to how they've reacted to the closure. They've pressed on and the mission has continued," Helms said. "I didn't get here until 1999, so the closure process was well on its way, but - Texas. They also supported nearly half the critical supply requirements for Operation Allied Force in Kosovo and Kelly employees recall and the American flag lowered Friday, people here saw a military unit close. But three Kelly members said they hope people will remember more than 85 years of Air Force history and military aviation. Community spirit, selfless dedication, accomplishment, pride, teamwork and a host of other personifications are what Shirley Martinez, Capt. Jerry Helms and retired Lt. Col. Joseph Marsilio said comes to their minds when remembering Kelly people. Martinez is Kelly's Equal Opportunity Employment manger and a employee, Helms is a member of the ALC commander's action group and Marsilio was the base manpower chief from April 1994 to his retirement in Jan- rfctr--- ' Raul R. Rendon, right who worked at Kelly AFB from 1952 to 1979, joined about 2,500 people who attended a ceremony Friday signifying the closure of the base. The base will now be known as KellyUSA. you couldn't tell this base was closing. "Up until April or so when our main product directorates left, the people here were in full force. It's just incredible how the folks have been dedicated to the success of the Air Force, the base and community." Another life etched with fond Kelly memories is Marsilio's. He was Kelly's manpower chief and an active duty lieutenant colonel when the closure announcement was made. He and his staff were tasked to orchestrate the "how-to- " plan for drawing down and realigning the more than 10,000 civilian and 4,000 military positions the base's closure impacted. "It was a job I both loved and hated," Marsilio said. "It was great because we did some very challenging things like determining what positions went with the workloads being transferred and the process for getting that done. announced. He especially recalls the emotional turmoil his staff endured during the closure. "We'd be the first to see the suggested manpower cuts when they came in from Washington, and sometimes those would include people that folks on my staff knew or were related to," he said. "But I had to swear my staff to secrecy because those, at that time, were preliminary and hadn't received final approval or funding from Congress. Those people bore a great burden much of the time." He said his staff pressed on with their work, never, to his knowledge, saying a word. "You just can't say enough about those kinds of people," Marsilio said.. The retired officer said he was so impressed with Kelly's teamwork and dedication; he penned a poem titled "A Tribute to Team Kelly," which he read during his retirement ceremony. He said cen"Counting jobs at Kelly was one of the most ter officials apparently enjoyed it so much, challenging things I've done in my career. But they've asked him to read it during the July 13 I hated having to tell people their jobs were, closing ceremonies. One passage Marsilio finds particularly meangoing away." Marsilio, now a budget and performance ana- ingful reads: "When we stand together in that moment sublyst with the city of San Antonio, said Kelly's teamwork and focus on getting lime; the job done and taking care of their own impacted and see the flag lowered for the last time; him greatly. we can rightly attest that trust once created; made Team Kelly a force we ourselves formu"My wife has told me I've changed during all will said. he understand never this," lated; "People You see it took all of us, of all ranks and skills; the agonizing effort that went into giving this To see closure through as a test of our wills; controlled crash the safest landing possible." and it will take all of us standing side by side; Saying he could "talk for weeks" about Kelly to remember Team Kelly and Kelly Pride. people and their successes, he pointed out a "I dedicate this to everyone who's ever worked considers what to he be of milestones. couple He said even while facing base closure, Kelly at or been assigned to Kelly, from the compeople gave the second highest per capita amount mander on down to the people who've worked in the nation to the Combined Federal Cam the snack bar," he said. never-endin- g f |