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Fairchild preps for ATA convention

  • Published
  • By Tech Sgt. Larry W. Carpenter Jr.
  • 92nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. --  Members of Fairchild held the first of two meetings at Club Fairchild on Sept. 28 in preparation for this year's Airlift Tanker Association convention in Nashville, Tenn.

Roughly 92 members from the Inland Northwest chapter of the ATA will travel to Nashville aboard two of Fairchild's very own KC-135 Statotanker aircraft to attend the 39th installment of this annual event.

Capt. Jarrett McNabb, 92nd Air Refueling Wing executive officer and ATA Inland Northwest chapter vice president, held the meeting to talk about the convention plan. Some of the things discussed were the housing arrangements, clothing requirements (the convention gets progressively more formal from day to day), and the crud tournament that takes place at the convention.

The convention will contain key note speakers from Air Force and Air Mobility Command leaders. 

"It's mainly so Airmen get a chance to hear from senior leadership on what's happening in our Air Force and throughout Air Mobility Command," said Captain McNabb.

"It's a rare opportunity that they will probably not get unless all those speakers come and visited this base," he said. "In one day, they are going to hear from a plethora of four stars, a lot of our civilian leadership in the Department of Defense, as well as getting to hear from industry experts."

Even though the convention is for the Airlift Tanker Association, it's not specifically geared toward pilots. The convention also provides a chance for all who attend to see some of the latest technologies in the craft or air mobility. Vendor products will range from quick-don masks for inside the aircraft, to air frames and engines.

"The biggest two sectors of people we take from Fairchild are from maintenance and operations," said Captain McNabb. "A lot of vendors there cater to the maintainers; they show them new tools and new things they have to help them do their jobs better."

In conjunction with the ATA meeting the Company Grade Officer council sponsored a crud tournament. The meeting provided a captive audience and potential crud players to play for Fairchild at the ATA convention.

"The purpose of the tournament was to practice and to establish teams for the upcoming ATA convention in October," said Captain Schoffstall.

Dover Air Force Base, Del., won the tournament the last two years, so Fairchild leadership wants to send a team that has a chance of coming back with the championship. The team that won the crud tournament Sept. 28 just happened to be the 92nd Communications Squadron led by Maj. Pamela Wooley, squadron commander. For the second year in a row they took home the trophy for best team on base.

"They are definitely the team to beat on base; they are just really good," said Captain Schoffstall.

The tournament got the members use to the rules that will be used during the convention, due to the fact that there could be variations in the rules based on where the game is being played. The teams that stayed for the tournament were giving a "crud 101" lesson beforehand to give them a rundown of the rules.

The second meeting will be held on Oct. 11 at 11 a.m.