Alamo Wing inducts remaining six honorary commanders Published May 1, 2016 By Senior Airman Bryan Swink 433rd Airlift Wing Public Affairs JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND -- Six civic and business leaders were officially inducted into the 433rd Airlift Wing's Honorary Commanders Program during a ceremony April 30 here. The ceremony was designed to accommodate the honorary commanders who were not able to attend the initial one on March 5 in downtown San Antonio. The ceremony, hosted by Col. Thomas K. Smith, Jr., 433rd Airlift Wing commander, is a time-honored tradition signifying the important ties between the military and civilian communities. “It’s an honor to have you as part of this important program,” said Smith. “We are excited to get to know each of you and for you to learn more about what we do here at the Alamo Wing.” The Honorary Commanders Program is an executive-level program intended as a forum in which the 433rd AW commander can solicit advice and support from civic leaders on matters affecting military and civilian communities, while cementing the already strong ties between the Alamo Wing and the San Antonio community. “I’m very excited to be a part of this program," said Maj. Tara Jones, 433rd Force Support Squadron commander. "This is the first honorary commander I’ve been paired up with in my career. My new honorary commander (Kelly Lerch) is employed in a field that has many similarities to what we do in the FSS. It will be great to have such a valuable resource to be able to potentially help our Airmen as well as provide her a perspective on what we do within our squadron.” Each of the Alamo Wing's Honorary Commanders is paired with a leader from within the wing. Throughout the year, the civilian and military counterparts get to know one another, which allows the community leaders to understand the importance of the U.S. Air Force Reserve and its mission, and in turn giving military leaders a better understanding and appreciation of the community in which they live. Alamo Wing Honorary Commander John Smith, who is matched with the 433rd Security Forces Squadron commander, was inducted into the program for his second and final term during the ceremony. "This past year was a great experience in which I learned a lot about what goes on here at the Alamo Wing," said the General Attorney with the Department of Homeland Security. "I’m really looking forward to working with Maj. Korinne D. Sharp as she too works for the Department of Homeland Security. I’m excited to take advantage of some of the opportunities I wasn’t able to participate in last year." While only six of this year's Alamo Wing Honorary Commanders participated in the ceremony, there are 26 in all.