188th, Fort Chaffee, AFRC host Arkansas National Guard Senior Leaders Conference

Retirees tour the 188th Fighter Wing flightline at the Arkansas National Guard Senior Leaders Conference held in Fort Smith, Arkansas, at Fort Chaffee Maneuver Training Center, the 188th Fighter Wing, and Armed Forces Reserve Center May 6, 2010. (Photo by Senior Master Sgt. Dennis Brambl / 188th Fighter Wing Public Affairs) Hi-res

Note: The aircraft on display is A-10C 188, the 188th Fighter Wing commander's jet, often called the "boss bird".

by Capt. Heath Allen
Arkansas National Guard Public Affairs

5/7/2010 - FORT SMITH, Ark. -- Much has transpired in the past five years in the Arkansas National Guard. New construction, an aircraft transition and increased deployments have existed as everyday business for members of the Arkansas National Guard.

The Arkansas National Guard hosted a Senior Leaders Conference May 6 at three key military installations near Fort Smith, Ark., to help update many of the state's highest ranking retirees on exactly what the Arkansas Guard has accomplished recently and what challenges lie ahead. The group of retirees toured Fort Chaffee Maneuver Training Center, the 188th Fighter Wing and the Armed Forces Reserve Center (AFRC) during the event.

The objective of the conference was to provide mission, equipment and facility updates to Arkansas National Guard retirees who held the rank of chief master sergeant, sergeant major, colonel or above, and chief warrant officer four and above upon retirement. The primary goal of events such as these is to help keep the lines of communication open and to build a stronger coalition between current and retired members of the Arkansas National Guard.

The throng of more than 130 retirees received a briefing from Maj. Gen. William Wofford, Arkansas National Guard adjutant general; Brig. Gen. Richard Swan, Arkansas National Guard chief of the joint staff; Brig. Gen. Riley Porter, Arkansas Air National Guard commander; Col. Tom Anderson, 188th Fighter Wing commander; Lt. Col. Ron Brazell, Fort Chaffee training site manager; and Maj. Matt Snead, legislative liaison. The briefings were held at the 188th's Citizen Airman Dining Hall where they were served lunch sponsored by the Arkansas National Guard Enlisted Association.

The group of retirees was treated with a tour of the 188th's new Consolidated Maintenance Facility, which is the first maintenance building in the entire Air National Guard to received a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating of Silver, a green building certification process that is the industry standard.

Other key stops on the tour included the new Consolidated Maintenance Facility at Fort Chaffee and the AFRC. Both facilities will be shared by the Arkansas Army National Guard and Army Reserves.

The tour also featured much of the new construction at the 188th, Fort Chaffee and the new AFRC. Retirees were able to view an A-10C Thunderbolt II "Warthog," M109 A6 Paladin, UH-72 Lokota helicopter and M270A1 Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) vehicle as well as a myriad of other new military equipment.



Retirees tour the 188th Fighter Wing's Consolidated Maintenance Facility May 6, 2010. (Photo by Capt. Heath Allen / Arkansas National Guard Public Affairs) Hi-res

Note: The pieces in the foreground are looking to me like fuzes and other parts of Mk 82 bombs. The two intert munitions on the trailer in the background are either CBUs od WCMDs.



Col. Tom Anderson, 188th Fighter Wing commander, speaks to a group of retirees at the Arkansas National Guard Senior Leaders Conference May 6, 2010. (Photo by Capt. Heath Allen / Arkansas National Guard Public Affairs) Hi-res

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