Luke sends 111 Airmen to AETC Symposium

  • Published
  • By Capt. Tristan Hinderliter
  • 56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. --  Luke Airmen had the opportunity to see an advance screening of the movie "Red Tails," the new George Lucas-produced film about the Tuskegee Airmen in World War II, and hear from Air Education and Training Command senior leaders during a symposium in San Antonio Jan. 12 and 13.

The movie, which opens in theaters today, was screened for an audience of more than 3,000 people at a theater in the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, which hosted the symposium.

"It was an excellent movie and an excellent tie-in to the lineage and history of our Air Force," said Chief Master Sgt. Rory Wicks, 56th Fighter Wing command chief. "It was an amazing opportunity to be there with so many Airmen from across our command to watch the debut of the movie."

Nate Parker, who stars in "Red Tails" alongside Cuba Gooding Jr. and Terrence Howard, was at the screening to introduce the film. The movie, he said, is a "love letter" to the men and women in uniform. Several members of the original Tuskegee Airmen were also in attendance.

Approximately 3,500 people from across the command attended the two-day symposium, including 111 Airmen from Luke, who travelled there and back together on a C-17.

"The symposium is a great opportunity for our Airmen because it provides them a chance to see what senior leaders are thinking and what direction the command is going in," said Maj. Joyce Beaty, 56th Medical Group TRICARE Operation Patient Administration flight commander and project officer for the trip.

Besides the movie screening, highlights of the symposium included addresses by Gen. Edward Rice Jr., AETC commander, and Gen. Raymond Johns Jr., Air Mobility Command commander. There were also dozens of breakout sessions covering everything from advances in distance learning technology to perspectives on nuclear deterrence policy.
Rice said the education and training accomplished in the command is vital to the success of the Air Force, and nobody does it better, he told the auditorium of AETC Airmen Jan. 12.

"As command chief Chief Master Sgt. Jim Cody and I have travelled around AETC over the past year, of all the elements of Air Education and Training Command, what has impressed us the most, as you might guess, has been our Airmen, our people," he said.

"Our job in AETC," he said, "is to help them realize their hopes and dreams, and help them realize their potential."