Idaho community group invites deployed to speak

Published Feb. 19, 2010
By Senior Airman Joshua Chapman
92nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs

FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. -- A heartwarming, home-style meal is all it took for two Airmen and a full-bird colonel to cozy their way into the lives one of Idaho's prize community outreach groups Thursday in Post Falls, Idaho.

The vice wing commander responded to a request by David Sproul, vice president (president elect) of the Post Falls Chapter of Kiwanis International, to invite recently deployed Airmen to speak in front of a group of community leaders representing the Post Falls community.

Quick to accept the invitation, 1st Lt. Noel Bacnis, 92nd Air Refueling Wing Director of Staff executive officer, and Senior Airman Travis Lorion, 92nd Maintenance Squadron, agreed to speak with the local community group to share their experiences abroad.

"I decided to speak [at the Kiwanis Club] because I thought it would be an amazing opportunity to share what's happening for me and other Airmen downrange," said Lieutenant Bacnis. Her message to the club: "The Afghanis are moving in the right direction; we're seeing a lot of progress and positive change. People should know that what's happening down there isn't in vain."

After sitting down to a warm meal prepared by the group at GW Hunter, a local restaurant in the area, Col. Timothy Bush, 92nd Air Refueling Wing vice commander, spoke about the work Fairchild Airmen are doing worldwide.

"From Kyrgyzstan, to Afghanistan, to the UAE and Iraq, we're there," said Colonel Bush.
"Not one of the four of [the Airmen] here is from the Spokane area, and yet this community continues to support us and make us feel as if this is home. Your support to the young men and women in uniform is incredibly important to us at Fairchild."

During the luncheon, each of the Airmen spoke about their time downrange with a strong emphasis on community, both local and abroad, as being critical to their success in the warzone. Airman Lorion recalled one event in particular in which he assisted the local community outlying Manas Air Base, Kyrgyzstan, in digging a large hole to serve as a latrine.

"I was in Manas from September through January," said Airman Lorion. "My job out there was to keep KC-135s in the air. The more KC-135s flying, the more fighters we have up there to do the mission."
But the mission is more than keeping jets flying, explained Airman Lorion.

"We helped the local community dig a pit for sanitation purposes," said Airman Lorion. "It may not sound impressive to us, but that's the system they have out there."
Lieutenant Bacnis served as the Director of Public Affairs training with the Afghan Army and Police.

"Our goal was to assist the Afghans to operate public affairs on their own," said Lieutenant Bacnis. "They were very motivated and respectful towards me. By the time I left, they had basically included me as part of the family; knowing our cultural differences, it was very heartwarming."

One sign of change, Lieutenant Bacnis noted, was the shift in treatment toward women.

"I was invited to join Army and Police recruiters to recruit young female juniors and seniors in high school to join up and start a career--something very different for women in Afghanistan," said the lieutenant. "We wanted to show them that women can still be women, get married and have kids, if they decide to, and yet still maintain a career."

The mission of the group is to "support the community through educational scholarship programs, helping children, and supporting the elderly" among many other means of support for other areas of the local community, said Mr. Sproul.

The group comes from every walk of life, from bank managers, to educators, to medicine, Sproul said. "We're always looking for more volunteers."

ARTICLE SEARCH

Idaho community group invites deployed to speak

Idaho community group invites deployed to speak