Airmen accompany 509 BW/CC to nation's capital

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Joel Pfiester
  • 509th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. --  Three members of Team Whiteman were recently hand-picked to accompany Brig. Gen. Glen D. VanHerck, 509th Bomb Wing commander, on a trip to Washington, D.C., July 13 to 16.

Every year, the wing commander visits Washington, D.C., to speak with Missouri's congressional leaders, and he is allowed to bring three Airmen with him.

Capt. John Sullivan, 509th Security Forces Squadron, Master Sgt. Josef Albert, 509th Force Support Squadron, and Senior Airman Emily Luzum, 509th Operations Group, were hand-picked by VanHerck because of their accolades as Outstanding Airmen of the Year award winners at the Numbered Air Force and MAJCOM levels.

The group met with the U.S. senators from Missouri, Roy Blunt and Claire McCaskill, as well as Representatives Vicky Hartzler, Jason Smith and John Fleming, and Madeleine Bordallo, Guam's delegate to the House of Representatives.

During private, 30-minute office calls with each member individually, the Whiteman group discussed important issues facing Whiteman and the Air Force today.

After seeing the inner workings of government and touring the Pentagon, the group toured the Capitol, and visited some famous national landmarks.

"We saw the Washington Monument, the Holocaust Museum, the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, the Arlington National Cemetery, the Lincoln Memorial, the U.S. Capitol and all affiliated buildings," Luzum said. "We really tried to take advantage of our time in D.C. In the three days we were there, we walked just under 20 miles."

The group's visit to the Holocaust Museum had a profound effect on Albert.

"It might seem odd, but the part of the trip that was most special to me was visiting the Holocaust Museum. The people that lived through that must be remembered," Albert said. "To me it is a large part of why I serve. Too many people think the type of cruelty that occurred during the Holocaust will never happen again. However, you can see it in the news, if we're not vigilant in our global efforts it most certainly will."

The group had fun visiting the nation's capital and were most grateful for the recognition.

"It was not only very humbling, but a huge honor as a senior airman to be by-name, hand-selected by the general to go with him to our nation's capital," Luzum said. "Just being acknowledged for all the hard work I do both on and off work is great and it lets me know that I am a valuable asset to not only my shop, but to my base as well."

"The trip was special to me because being a farm kid from Wisconsin, I've never seen our nation's capital," Albert said. "It was a marvelous thing to see the inner workings of our government and all the pieces that keep our nation moving."

"I was honored to be selected as one of our representatives," Sullivan said. "General VanHerck told us that we earned our spots to accompany him, but I know there are many other deserving Airmen on Whiteman that would have loved this opportunity. We are all grateful for the chance and did our best to be professional representatives for the men and women of Whiteman."