Weekly commander's message Published June 2, 2017 By Brig. Gen. Paul W. Tibbets IV 509th Bomb Wing commander WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. -- Greetings, Team Whiteman!We are just over one week away from our 2017 Wings Over Whiteman air show, which is scheduled for June 10-11! This year’s air show, which is free to attend and open to the public, features an incredible lineup that includes seven decades of American airpower! For example, Wings Over Whiteman proudly features legacy aircraft such as a B-29, a B-17, a B-25, and a P-40 right alongside a B-2, a B-1, a B-52, an F-15, an F-16 and many others! Furthermore, we have over a dozen aerial performances scheduled, including the legendary U.S. Army Golden Knights, Air Combat Command’s F-16 Demonstration Team, and the KC Flight Formation Team just to name a few! Gates open at 9 a.m. and the first act is scheduled to begin around 11 a.m. Spectators without a Department of Defense (DOD) ID card may enter the base through the Arnold or LeMay Gates, as the Spirit Gate will be reserved for DoD ID card holders only. For the safety of all our guests, please leave your coolers and large bags at home or in your vehicles, but don’t forget your sunscreen because we’ve ordered beautiful weather for the weekend!In addition to being a great family-friendly event for our team, Wings Over Whiteman is an excellent opportunity for us to display to tens of thousands of Americans what missions we perform, what equipment and facilities we have, and what our role is in supporting national security objectives. Doing so highlights our tremendous airpower capabilities and exposes future generations of American Airmen to Whiteman’s unique bomber mission! Events like this are also a great opportunity to say thanks to everyone in our surrounding area. We get a lot of support from our neighboring communities throughout the year, ranging from free military appreciation events to individual community members simply thanking us for our service. Small, simple gestures like that go a long way in my book and it is nice that we can give back to our local partners who do so much for us! In the end, the air show will be a win-win for us and our community partners, so please encourage your family and friends to come enjoy the show … I hope to see you there! Have a great weekend, spend some time with a Wingman, and watch out for one another. Defend … Avenge!NukePAUL W. TIBBETS IVBrigadier General, USAFCommander, 509th Bomb Wing