Gunfighters share Air Force story on local radio show

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt Jasmine Reif
  • 366th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
MOUNTAIN HOME AIR FORCE BASE, Idaho --  Gunfighters got the chance to tell their stories to the Boise Treasure Valley Dec. 10 during 580 KIDO AM's live morning talk radio show from the base fitness center.

For four hours Airmen and civilians sat down with radio host Kevin Miller and discussed topics ranging from deployments to their quality of life in the Air Force.

"We wanted to share actual stories from military members with our listeners," said Kevin Miller. "We wanted to interview a diverse group of people who make up the life and work of a service member to raise public awareness of their duty and sacrifice."

Early in the morning Col. Pete Lee, 366th Fighter Wing vice wing commander, spoke to Mr. Miller about the mission of the wing, which is to develop and deploy combat ready Airmen, take care of Gunfighters, and protect and enhance our resources.

"Airmen are amazing. We pride ourselves in discipline, are on call 24/7, and are willing to give our lives," said Colonel Lee. "We have 72 aircraft assigned to the wing, but everything we do here is to prepare to deploy combat ready Airmen. I'm on the glamorous side of the aircraft, but it takes thousands of people to get the jets airborne. It's a team effort."

Currently 700 Airmen from Mountain Home Air Force Base are deployed to 14 countries conducting expeditionary operations in support of combat and humanitarian operations around the world, he said. However, even with the high ops tempo, the focus is still on taking care of families.

"We slow down around the holidays and make sure we are taking care of Airmen and their families," he said. "That is a major focus of the Department of Defense and the Air Force."

Each career field plays a vital role in the mission, and Senior Master Sgt. Dean Abbott, 366th Logistics Readiness Squadron fuels management flight superintendent, said he feels that Airmen in today's Air Force are ready to take on any task.

"Airmen across the Air Force are coming into the military prepared to deploy to combat environments," said Sergeant Abbott. "That wasn't the case when I joined."

The show ended with Mr. Miller once again expressing his gratitude to the members of the U.S. Air Force and Mountain Home Air Force Base.

"It's always a pleasure for me to have the opportunity to speak to people in the service," he said. "Thank you for all you do to keep us safe."