2017 AETC Community Support Award Altus Trophy
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2017 AETC Community Support Award Altus Trophy Celebrating over 75 Years of Teamwork Enid High School hosted military appreciation night during a football game between the Enid Plainsmen and Stillwater High School. Colonel Lee G. Gentile, Jr. had the honors for coin toss ceremony before Enid high school football game. Col. Gentile used his “challenge coin” during the “Friday Night Lights” community event. Table of Contents 1. Executive Summary 2. Letters of Endorsement 3. Community Description 4. Military Affairs/Armed Services 5. Supporting supplementary materials Page intentionally left blank Executive Summary The relationship between Enid, Oklahoma and Vance Air Force Base is one that is unrivaled by any other. The bond between the base and city has only strengthened through the years and stands now as a benchmark of support to our nation’s men and women for other communities to follow. It is through the unending selflessness exhibited by the citizens of Enid that Vance AFB is able to succeed in its mission of developing professional Airmen, delivering world-class pilots and deploying combat ready warriors. Beginning in the early days of World War II when US Army sentries were charged with securing the new base with empty rifles, it was the Enid Police Department that loaned them bullets until supplies arrived. The faithful support continued through the wars of Korea, Vietnam, the Global War on Terror and every other conflict of the 21st century. As an overwhelming show of support, in 1995 nearly 12,000 Enid citizens gathered outside the base to show their appreciation and dedication to the role it plays in our community. The history of cooperation between the base and city represents some of the very best examples found in Air Education and Training Command and beyond. Since 1941, the total number of pilot wings awarded to military aviators produced at Vance AFB by Enid and Vance working together is 33,672. November 1, 2017 Dear Altus Military Affairs Committee: Enid and Vance Air Force Base have long been “Partners in the Sky”. The people of Enid and Vance have worked together since 1941 to help build and support the U.S. Air Force. Vance AFB is a source of great pride in our community and the base is a critical piece of Enid’s identity. Our citizens take supporting the mission at Vance and the people at Vance very seriously. It is an honor and a privilege. Vance Air Force Base has a huge economic impact on Enid and Northwest Oklahoma. In addition, being the home of Vance provides tremendous cultural and quality of life benefits for our community. Vance families are engaged in our schools, churches, civic clubs and many other organizations. They serve as volunteers for important community projects and events. The friendships that have developed between Vance people and Enid citizens over the years are invaluable. The bond between Enid and Vance is built on these relationships. The annual Altus Trophy award provides an opportunity to highlight projects and programs that have been developed and implemented to support Vance AFB. It is also a platform to show how people at Vance make major contributions to our city. We appreciate the committee’s efforts to coordinate the AETC Community Support Award. Thank you for your consideration of Enid’s nomination for the 2017 Altus Trophy. Sincerely, Jon Blankenship President/CEO Letters of Endorsement Oklahoma Senator James Inhofe Oklahoma Congressman Frank Lucas Oklahoma Lieutenant Governor Todd Lamb Mayor, City of Enid Bill Shewey Ward 6 Commissioner, City of Enid George Pankonin Chief of Police, City of Enid Brian O’Rourke Fire Chief, City of Enid Joe Jackson Superintendent, Enid Public Schools Dr. Darrell Floyd Commander, 71st Flying Training Wing Darrell Judy st Command Chief, 71 Flying Training Wing Jeffrey Wilson CITY OF ENID P.O. Box 1768 Enid, Oklahoma 73702-1768 PH (580) 234-0400 www.Enid.org October 25, 2017 Altus Chamber of Commerce Military Affairs Committee P. O. Box 518 Altus, OK 73522 Dear AETC Altus Trophy Selection Committee: On behalf of the City of Enid, it is my pleasure to support Vance Air Force Base with the application for the AETC Community Support Award. The City of Enid and the surrounding communities in our region are committed in their efforts to assist VAFB in making sure that we train the best pilot’s in the world. Continuous takeoffs and landings that would perhaps be considered noise in other communities is greatly appreciated here as “The Sound of Freedom.” Thank you for your consideration of the City of Enid and Vance Air Force Base as one of the nominees for the 2017 AETC Community Support Award. The City of Enid takes great pride in integrating base personnel and their families into our schools, churches, medical facilities, businesses, and civic organizations to name just a few. Military discounts for goods and services are widely available throughout the business community as a gesture of our support and appreciation for their service. We do understand that it takes an entire “Team” to successfully perform the training. We work with the base in areas of housing, quality of life, and employment and educational opportunities for spouses. Each incoming class of pilots also has a community sponsor who welcomes them to VAFB and participates in a variety of activities with them throughout their training in Enid. Sincerely, Bill Shewey Mayor, City of Enid CITY OF ENID P.O. Box 1768 Enid, Oklahoma 73702-1768 PH (580) 234-0400 www.Enid.org November 9, 2017 Altus Chamber of Commerce Military Affairs Committee P.O. Box 518 Altus, OK 73522 Dear AETC Altus Trophy Selection Committee: I am delighted to offer my highest recommendation in support of Enid Oklahoma for the prestigious Altus Trophy this year. Enid’s reputation for support of Vance Air Force Base has long been legendary. In fact, part of the reason I settled in Enid 24 years ago when I retired from the Air Force was the strong Vance-Enid relationship I witnessed on my earlier assignment to Vance AFB. The strong base support I witnessed almost a quarter of a century ago gets stronger every year. The creation of a city committee (the Vance Development Authority) chartered to support the needs and future needs of Vance AFB is one example. The city decision to support and help secure funding to expand the runway at the local airport to 8,000 feet which makes their flight line available to accommodate all of the aircraft at Vance, the creation of a joint use hanger that and is used to protect Vance aircraft during inclement weather and the new aircraft parking apron near the joint use hanger that is used to park and tie down Vance Aircraft are but a few recent examples. The city of Enid is always looking forward and the latest example is the new terminal being constructed at the local airport. Vance needs were integral in the design of the new terminal which will have a greatly expanded flight briefing area and will accommodate flight debriefings by Vance pilots that land and take off from Woodring Airport. It is hard to imagine a community more supportive of the local Air Force Base than Enid Oklahoma. I ask the committee to make the easy choice by naming Enid as a finalist for the Altus Trophy this year! Respectfully, George C. Pankonin Commissioner, Ward 6 Dr. Darrell Floyd SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS 500 S. Independence, Enid, OK 73701 I Phone 580.366.7000 I Fax 580.366.8900 www.enidpublicschools.org I [email protected] November 16, 2017 Dear Selection Committee: It is with great pride that I recommend Vance Air Force Base and the Enid community for the AETC Altus Award. As a school district, our students and employees benefit significantly from the partnership we have with Vance and its brave service men and women. EPS is fortunate to serve Vance children at most every site in the district, including Eisenhower Elementary School, which is located on base. Our missions are intertwined as we work to support our community. For example, a member of the Vance team serves as an honorary member of our Board of Education, and military families were key contributors to our now-implemented strategic plan. We were proud to assist Vance officials, as well, as they began a community-planning project this summer. The strength of our relationship is demonstrated daily through our volunteer program. While many servicemen and women help with capitol need projects, most work one-on-one as mentors with our students who need them most. Our Vance volunteers truly make a difference through their efforts, and both organizations plan to expand this program even more. Our newest program, Airmen of the Month, allows students to learn more about Vance Air Force Base and the United States Air Force. Each school selects a nominee for the month and – from those selected – one is chosen for Airmen of the Day. This fortunate student experiences the adventure of a lifetime as he/she tours Vance and explores its many opportunities –the firehouse, the security station, simulators, the tower and more. This has not only been a fantastic way to build our relationship with the base, but it also has rewarded many outstanding students for demonstrating the core values that our military models and holds dear. We are fortunate to have many Vance spouses as teachers and support staff. They represent many of the most knowledgeable, effective and professional members of our team. On a regular basis, Vance allows EPS to appoint a representative for its Honorary Commander program.