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Show V piGa ILR COL 'XTR 1 Nov. 20, 1997 388th FW comes tod ether for dinner By Airman 1st Class Sara Banda Editor, Fighter Country ner, from airman basic to the wing Airmen and their families came together Friday for the 388th Fighter Wing's annual Thanksgiving Day dinner. "I think it's a great way to say thanks to our folks." said Chief Master Sgt. George E. Draper, 388th FW senior enlisted advisor. "We try to tie it in to the same week Veteran's Day comes around because each and every one of us is a veteran." Approximately l .000 people came to the annual event first held last year. In the past, the wing has done a traditional Thanksgiving dinner for the dorm residents, along with a wing summer picnic, according to the senior enlisted advisor. "What I tried to do was combine them into a wing family Thanksgiving dinner." said Chief Draper. "I thought it would be better off if the wing had one huge Thanksgiving dinner since most squadrons have their own picnics. The first sergeants and myself got together last year, figured out what we needed. As you know this year's dinner was also a huge success." Every rank was represented at the din of the unity and this being their first Thanks- com-1-mand- Others really enjoyed the dinner because giving at Hill. "I was in tech school last year away from my family." said Airman First Class Joann Kennedy. 388th Maintenance Squadron inspection shop apprentice. "I think it's neat you get to bring your family. The turkey was great and I especially liked the mashed potatoes." With the wing's busy operations tempo, the dinner gave people a chance to relax and visit w ith airmen throughout the wing. e "The one thing we didn't have was some place we could stop, relax, and just talk to each other about what was going on in people's lives." said Chief Draper. "Every squadron has a specific mission and there is a lot of focus on that, but we didn't have a event to sit down and say thanks to each member of the w ing and their families." The turkey was prepared by the 729th Air Control Squadron services, while each squadron was responsible for different side dishes. ve wing-wid- semi-soci- al Photo by Stall" Sat. James A. Rush Airman Sandra Huss, 34th Fighter Squadron, gets served dinner by Senior Master Sgt. Robert Cates, 729th Air Control Squadron, during the wing Thanksgiving dinner Friday. Canned food items were collected at the dinner also. The donated food will be used to support the base's Operation Warmheart. a program that distributes food and money to airmen during Thanksgiving and Christmas. farewell Tournament m Golf challenge raises money for Hill AFB fF Warmheart Operation Sara Banda Airman st Class By Editor, Fighfpr Country A golf tournament was more than just a farewell for the Fighter Wing's senior enlisted advisor Nov. 7. The wing first sergeants wanted to put together something special before Chief Master Sgt. George E. Draper retires in December. So they held a golf tournament for the 2 year Air Force veteran and donated entry proceeds to Hill Air Force Base's Operation Warmheart. Warmheart is a program run by the first sergeants which distributes food and money to young airmen for Thanksgiving and Christmas. "The first sergeants group talked about w hat we were going to do about Chief Draper's going away besides his retirement ceremony." said Master Sgt. Dave Hess. 4th Fighter Squadron first sergeant. "So. knowing the chief liked to play golf, we thought if we do it in November when the weather's still good we could have a golf tournament." 388th 1 fa V 2 . J Photo by Staff Sgt. James A. Rush Chief George E. Draper, 388th Fighter Wing senior enlisted advisor, warms up on the driving range. What a crowd!! Sticky, continued from Pg. When I got back to work with my new attitude adjustment I w as able to give my best whether anybody acknow ledged it or not. If someone could spend their whole day buffing floors to perfection w hile keeping a positive attitude, then surely I could do the same in my job. Recently. I observed a young senior airman caught in a tough situation, and though he has no way of know ing, he etched for me a true example of consideration and sincerity. , This senior airman arranged a meeting for an important deadline he'd been tasked with. Photo by Airman 1st Class Sara Banda Capt. Bruce Everett, 12th Air Force demonstration pilot, performed for a crowd of about 250 Nov. 12 in front of base operations. The spectators were students, teachers and parents from Elementary. Hill Field Unfortunately, the people from the other agency involved got their wires crossed and missed the appointment. The buck got passed back down to the senior airmen and he had to call the colonel to explain what had happened. I felt bad for him and expected to hear him politely explain to the colonel that another agency made a mistake that he had no control over. Who wants to have a colonel -- Chief Draper is a big supporter of the young enlisted force so this gave the first sergeants a way to raise some funds in his name, according to Sergeant Hess. The tournament also reminds base people that Operation Warmheart is active in 1997. After serving in the w ing for six years, his last as senior enlisted advisor. Chief Draper says he will definitely miss the 388th FW. . "You always miss the people and the wing is full of some absolutely amazing people." said Chief Draper. "Everyday it amazes me as I walk through the w ing and take a look at the men and women, see what they do for a living, their motivation and how they perceive the Air Force as a positive lifestyle." Supporting the wing's enlisted force has been at the front of Chief Draper's agenda throughout his tour here. He is credited for being the driving force behind the wing's annual Thanksgiving Dinner which started last year. This year, more than .000 people attended. Also, he strongly supported the Combat Dining In held earlier this year. The chief used his influence to get support from base organizations and served as president of the event. According to Sergeant Hess, he is a real people person who has made a lasting impact on this wing's people and it's mission. B thinking you flaked out on an appointment? But when he hung up the phone. I was amazed. He totally avoided the fact that somebody else had botched things up. He and was quick to apologize for the mix-u- p misfix and the over come he if could asked take himself. Without another word he grabbed his hat and bag and headed for the door, he never complained, grumbled or brought it up again. Even though someone left a big mess for him to clean up. this airman acted with true character and maturity (even when nobody was watching!). I never expected to learn such a valuable lesson in leadership from someone so far dow n on the food chain, a fellow airman. Whenever I go to spit my gum out or have the incline to drop a piece of trash. I catch myself. I think about someone else having to walk around in the hot sun w ith a trash bag picking up after me. or trying to scrape off the gum that I spit on the ground. If I gained anything from this experience, it's the hope of becoming a person who lives and works w ith consideration of others. 1 Fuujins, continued from Pg. A rota"I'm very happy it's a y tion." said the 4th FS weapons assistant flight chief. "I have a handicapped daughter with special needs, so the shorter rotation eases the burden on my w ife." This is the first time overseas for many including one sunny California native. Airman 1st Class Kevin Gutierrez, looks forw ard to comparing the Saudi Arabian desert to that of his hometown Hesperia as he supports a mission he believes in. "I can't wail to go. just because I've never been." said the intelligence application specialist. "The reasons are definitely valid of why w e're over there. It's just something that needs to be done. I love my country, so I'm sure this won't be my last time deploying." The 4th FS replaces the 34th FS who has been there since Oct. 5. 45-da- 1 |