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Show Hilkop Times January 29. 2004 McMahon receiving first star Friday HillAFB weather outlook 5-d- ay Col. Robert H. McMahon, Ogden Air Logistics Center's director of maintenance, will have a brigadier general's star "pinned on" by Maj. Gen. Kevin J. Sullivan, the center commander, at a 10 a.m. ceremony Friday in the Lindquist-StewaGallery of the Hill Aerospace Museum. His effective date of promotion rt www.airfield-ops- . is Sunday. hlll.af.miloswweather ujgay I Attendees at the promotion ceremony include staff members and employees from many of the Hill AFB defense organizations, local dignitaries, and friends and relatives of the McMahon family. Col. McMahon's wife, Hope, children Erin and Bobby, and his father, Robert W. McMahon, will participate in the ceremony. As the director of maintenance, Ogden Air Logistics Center, Col. McMahon is responsible for providing the center with direction on all matters pertaining to depot repair, modification and maintenance for the Fighting Falcon aircraft, 0 Thunderbolt aircraft, Hercules aircraft, and the ICBM Peacekeeper and Minuteman III missiles. This includes overhauls and repairs on landing gear, wheels and brakes for Air Force and Department of Defense aircraft; rocket motors; air muni will F-1-6 A-1- 0 Col. Robert McMahon Mostly cloudy Hilltop Times editor Using anecdotes and history, the Rev. France Davis encouraged the audience at the Martin Luther King Jr. Observance to overcome attitudes, appreciate others and work together. The Jan. 22 service in the Base Chapel was part of the annual tribute to the civil rights leader who died in 1968. "It is a an occasion to reflect on the principles of racial equality as espoused by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.," explained African American Heritage Committee member Rosemary Revels in her introduction to the program. "It is also a day to promote national and community service and interracial cooperation." Rev. Davis, pastor of Salt Lake City's Calvary Baptist Church, noted that he had a "goodly 35 High 32 Low Mostly cloudy with afternoon snow showers v heritage," as outlined in Psalms 16:6. Recalling his Air Force service with the 388th Tacti- 27 High 23 Low Mostly cloudy with snow showers cal Fighter Wing during Vietnam, he smiled and added, "I used to own it. Not one aircraft got off the ground without my making sure it worked right I was in charge of the tire shop." As he recalled the history of race relations in America, Rev. Davis said most people arrived in this country with great mmy expec-tation- s. "We came looking for freedom of opportunity and the privilege of being human beings and a part of this society," he said. "By the time the constitution was adopted, it was adopted with language that separated the people because of their birth; in fact we find that some people who lived in the United States were whole human beings while others 32 High 19 Low Mostly cloudy with morning snow showers l were only 35ths human beings." Telling stories from history, Rev. Davis noted that Martin Luther King Jr. became fully involved in the Civil Rights Movement in December 1955 after seamstress Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her bus seat to a white man. 34 High 16 Low Mostly cloudy with a chance of snow "That night they called a meeting with the NAACP and Combined Joint Task Force 180 Public Affairs I miss I will be home soon. Roy.' This message, from Staff Sgt. Roy G. Farmer, a member of the 75th Air Base Wing deployed to as part of Operation Enduring Freedom, is one of several messages sent recently to loved ones. The soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and Department of Defense civilians serving in Afghanistan under Operation Enduring Freedom are sending the messages . of "I love you" to their families I t 2000-Septemb- er ' I, ' ,..V--- . k:'i ML boycott by black riders. "Almost a year to the day, (the boycott) . literally drove the bus system of Montgomery bankrupt. If you were to go to Montgomery in January 2004, you would ride a jitney-lik- e bus and there wouldn't very many people on it, even today, because they never fully recovered because of that wrong that was being imposed on people. "I'm glad" (Mrs. Parks) did what she did, and I'm glad Martin Luther King Jr. did what he did because it became part of our heritage." Rev. Davis was further inspired by Dr. King when he was one of 250,000 people gathered for the 1963 March on Washington. He recalled that the "I Have A Dream" was "like turning lights speech on in a dark room." "There was an electricity that went through the crowd. And as he began to talk and say 'I have a dream,' the more he said and the more he called attention to the grief we had, the more electric the crowd Photos by Beth Young The Rev. France Davis, above, discusses his work with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during Friday's observance at the Base Chapel. Providing music for the service is the Inspirational Service Choir,' left, led by Inger Marlow. v now-famo- became," he said. "Martin Luther King had a use of the language that you and I ought to hold onto. It is considered a part of our heritage that he was such a magnificent speaker, trained in the church." Rev. Davis detailed how Dr. King learned his speaking style from his father and grandfather, read every book in his elementary school library, graduated from high school at age 15, earned his first four-ye- ar degree at 18, and earned "the highest degree possible" at 25. "He did something else that you and I can learn from. He knew that violence was not the way," Rev. Davis said. "I was there for the march from Selma to Montgomery. He told us that if they spit on you, don't spit back. If they call you names, don't call names back. If they shoot at you, just roll into a ball and protect yourself as best you can but don't shoot back. He realized that in the at home as part of "Operation by Sgt. Cain Claxton and love you all very much. Col. McMahon was born in Toledo, Ohio. He entered active duty after graduation from the Air Force Academy in 1978 with a Bachelor of Science degree in international affairs. In 1986, he earned a Master of Science degree in maintenance management from the Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterso- n AFB, Ohio. The colonel has commanded a logistics group and two maintenance squadrons. He served as the director of propulsion for 2000, the San Antonio Air Logistics Center from July 1997-Apr- il and the director of aircraft for the Ogden Air Logistics Center 2001. Prior to his returning to Hill from April AFB in March 2003 as director of maintenance, Col. McMahon was the military assistant to the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Installations, Environment and Logistics) at the Pentagon, Washington, D.C. Rev. Davis said, recalling the Montgomery, Ala., bus Sergeant sends family valentine "To my wife and children, CCS. drafted Martin Luther King to lead the Montgomery Improvement Association," by Bill Orndorff J d Service highlights Civil Rights leader's life 34 High 28 Low ft tions and guided bombs; photonics equipment; training devices; electronics; avionics; instruments; hydraulics; power systems; components. The Mainsoftware; and other aerospace-relatetenance Directorate has nearly 8,000 military and civilian employ- - Enduring Valentine." As a way to recognize the support they receive and the dedication of their loved ones, hundreds of service members in Afghanistan have written the expressions of love and thanks to their families and friends. Since 2002, Operation Enduring Freedom, executed by the Combined Joint Task Force 180, has established the conditions for security and stability in Afghanistan by fighting Al Qaida, Taliban and other terrorist organizations. the men and women of Today Operation Enduring Freedom still battle America's enemies in Afghanistan and fight to help the Afghan oeople help themselves. , one-on-on- e. framework in place; we still have a mission that requires s that not only r raise the roof about African-American- what-eve- the problems are, but that everybody else join the team. What would happen if gomery, he would point to Mahalia Jackson or Peter, Paul is going to give you the extremes and Mary and ask them to sing. the one hand and a pimp on the 388th decided it was going the other, and 98 percent of to fight the war all by itself are some- and everybody else on base where in between. We have to decided they weren't going you'll get Karl Malone on "Nobody knows the trouble but Jesus and me," the minister sang, adding that "there was something about the music that allowed those with vioI've seen, nobody knows African-America- lent tendencies to settle down a little bit. I suggest that young people learn how to sing. If you can sing, you can make a difference in the every part of the world." Though much has been done toward civil rights and equality since the days of Martin Luther King, Rev. Davis said there is still much to be done. He suggested that we work on knowing who we are as well as work to change people's attitudes. "We have to each learn who we are so we can then appreciate the differences and we are different, you know," Services evaluated by team from page h.lk '.. fc.f:rf I s crowd were students from he said. "Go eat at their house Tuskegee, and knew how to one day. Sleep over at their control them. As we were home. Get to know them Don't pay attention to marching along that 40 miles between Selma and Mont- the media, because the media 1 been more important espe- cially in view of AEF deployments, BRAC, and retirements of our aging workforce, our military members, Services is the Air Forces retention connection. For us, winning the Air Force LeMay award is the equivalent of winning the NFL's Super Bowl." "The competition was very keen, and it was a very difficult call," Col. Rarer said in a recent memo. "The panel has selected Eglin and Hill as the finalists." Col. Rarer thanked all Services organizations for the super things they are doing for their customers. While Hill and Eglin have similar facilities, Hill Services also include the Linen Exchange, base restaurants and mobile food m change people's attitudes. I change them one at a time, through hard work, long hours," he said. "There's tremendous work to be done, but we've got to find time to do it. I preach it, some of you sing it, others have to learn to do both and more. Then we can change attitudes. "Even though we have a legal 1 services. Aside from all of the facilities here at home the 75fh Services Division has a global reach. The Services Division rapidly deployed 115 personnel in support of learn who we are and who others are and isn't that a ney worth taking?" Recalling the early 1970s when his children were told they couldn't walk through a Salt Lake City neighborhood, Rev. Davis told how he talked to school officials and parents about attitudes. "We've got to find ways to mea We a can't fly, fight and win if we're tired, hungry and out of shape. sures. "We can't fly, fight and win if we're tired, hungry and out of the deployment This past year, the 75th Ser- vices Division garnered 14 major awards including Air Force Innkeeper Award, Air Force Travelers Award, AFMC Gold Key and Gold Plate Award, and program awards for best bowling center. Information, what they needed? What would happen if the maintenance team didn't get done? They would shut this place down if finance was out of business! together, need to work together and become one and then you can, as the All of you Bible said, turn the world upside down." Rev. Davis received a framed copy of the program's poster from Maj. Gen. Kevin Sullivan, Ogden ALC commander. Music for the ceremony was presented by the chapel's Inspirational Service Choir, and a sextet from the 388th Fighter Wing who sang the Star Span gled Banner. award was won by an Air Force entity according tq Air Force ILV. "This recognition demonstrates the overall success and customer service received by our customers," said Ronda Reynolds, a marketing specialist for Services. "Looking Back ... Leaping Ahead" is the Services theme for the LeMay Com- petition. Maj. Dawn Lancaster shape," said Maj. Dawn Lancaster, Services deputy director, who was part of to do anything? What would happen if Supply didn't deliver Ticket and Travel office, fitness center, club and resource management office. Ptrsonnel awards include AFMC Senior Civilian and Best Honor Guard Manager. From the private sector, HiH AFB Services won the Boys and Girls Club of America Marketing Award for Excellence, the first time that this "Winning the LeMay Award means possess- ing the BEST Services programs in the entire Air Force, coupled with ONE com- mitted and dynamic Services Team and Famfly that together (we) provide outstanding customer service to our guests," said Mandy Whitaker, a Services training specialist The bottom line is, the LeMay Award equals the Hill Services Division." |