PATRICK AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. – Three members of U.S. Rep. Bill Posey’s (FL-8) office visited the Air Force Technical Applications Center March 4 to learn more about the center’s rich history and heritage. 

Stuart Burns, Posey’s chief of staff, Rick Podliska, senior policy advisor, and Patrick Gavin, the congressman’s district director, traveled to the base and were met by Col. Jon VanNoord, 709th Surveillance and Analysis Group commander and Jim Whidden, AFTAC director of staff.  

The visitors toured AFTAC’s Heritage Room – a showcase of equipment, memorabilia and artifacts dating back to the long range detection mission of the 1940s and 1950s. 

“It’s always beneficial when we can have congressional staffers see for themselves just how vital our mission is to the safety and security of our nation,” said Whidden.  “We appreciate the time these gentlemen took out of their schedule to learn more about AFTAC’s role in nuclear event detection and nuclear treaty monitoring, and we hope they’ll come back again for another update on our evolving global responsibilities.”