Alamo Wing impresses employers on 15th Annual Bosses' Day

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Carlos Treviño
  • 433rd Airlfit Wing
LACKLAND AFB, Texas --  The 433rd Airlift Wing hosted almost 40 employers at its 15th Annual Bosses' Day on Saturday Nov. 15. The goal was to showcase the skills Air Force Reservists bring to their civilian jobs.
The bosses began arriving at Lackland Air Force Base at 6:30 a.m. They arrived in darkness to a cold, windswept airfield. The early start let the bosses experience the reality of showing up for weekend drill after a five day work week.
After a quick continental breakfast at the 68th Airlift Squadron, the group was ushered into an auditorium for a briefing from Brig. Gen. John Fobian, 433rd AW commander. General Fobian told the employers about the world wide mission capabilities, financial impact on the local community and resources the Alamo Wing utilizes in today's Air Force.
The highlight of the day was an orientation flight on a C-5 Galaxy. While in the air, the employers got a rare glimpse few civilians ever see when they observed the Alamo Wing aircraft being refueled by a KC-135 Stratotanker from the Wisconsin Air National Guard over the Gulf of Mexico.
James Sterling, an employer from Lockhart, Texas, saw Bosses' Day as not only a chance to support his employee, but a chance to experience flying on the largest aircraft in the Air Force. "I wanted to not only support my employee, Tech. Sergeant Michael Correll, but also to get a chance not a lot of people in their lifetime get, and that's to fly in a C-5 Galaxy."
An awestruck Sterling was impressed with the flying skill shown during the aerial refueling. "How we could go only 250 knots just 35 feet from another large aircraft and refuel, and make it look like a ballet in the sky," he said, describing his most memorable moment of the flight.
Dennis Klingbeil, an auto parts director at a dealership in Corpus Christi, Texas, currently has deployed reservists as employees.
The aerial refueling impressed him the most. "It was very intriguing; it was an adrenaline rush to see that boom coming at you. I would do it 100 more times," he said. "I have always been a supporter of the military, I think everyone should be. It reinforced my belief in the military. It was very inspiring to come see something like this."
"I didn't realize how much our country depends on the Reserve for defense purposes," he said.
Rita Uresti, principal at Adams Elementary, said "It was a great trip, it was a great experience. I learned a lot more about Reservists."
Ms. Uresti was impressed with how her employee, Tech. Sergeant Richard Garcia, organized their schools recent Veterans Day celebration. "This gave me a chance to see what he does with his weekends," she said of Garcia, who is a pre-kindergarten teacher at her school.
She had never been up close to a C-5 until Bosses' Day. "The aircraft was awesome. When I saw the aircraft I was impressed with its size."
However, once airborne, she did not get to see the aerial refueling portion." I didn't expect to get nauseous, but I did. It was an experience in itself. It was not the most fun thing, but I can walk away and still say it was a good experience," she said after the flight.
The cargo lifting capabilities of the C-5 also impressed her. "One of the loadmasters was telling us before the flight about the different items that can be loaded on the aircraft. It was interesting to hear the number of items, the volume of items and the types of items, from helicopters to toilet paper," she said.
Mr. Sterling said his expectations were exceeded by the expertise shown during the event. "The courtesy extended the employer, the professionalism, the safety, it was immaculate. I am really proud to be a part of this," he said. 
The opportunity for civilian employers of Air Force Reservists to actually see what their employee does when they are away from their regular employment is just one way the for them to see how important the Reserve duties their employee performs are mission essential to the nation.
The Alamo Wing also supports the Texas Chapter of Employer Support for the Guard and Reserve, and will fly an overnight trip for employers to Barksdale AFB, La., December 12-13. During this tour, civilian employers, nominated through ESGR, will see Guard and Reserve units from several military service components, not just Air Force. They will see how they integrate with their active-duty counterparts and how they work jointly.