YOUNGSTOWN AIR RESERVE STATION, Ohio -- A huge American flag hangs behind a stage in a C-130H Hercules aircraft hangar, here.
A crowd of Reserve Citizen Airmen stands in wait for the start of a 910th all call, a mass assembly of installation personnel.
A familiar engine sound intensifies as the hangar doors open to reveal a C-130 displaying a two star plaque, parking just outside the threshold of the hangar.
As the engines slow and the propellers stop, the reason for the plaque is revealed when the commander of the 22nd Air Force, Maj. Gen. Craig L. La Fave disembarks the aircraft.
Before arriving at the hangar, La Fave toured Youngstown Air Reserve Station seeing how the 910th AW continues to provide a current, qualified, mission-ready force. La Fave was briefed on the 910th aerial spray mission, the Department of Defense's only large-area fixed-wing spray capability, and shown the aerial spray systems used by the unit's specially-modified C-130 fleet. The general saw how the 910th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron keeps the C-130 fleet’s engines running at peak performance and how the 910th Maintenance Squadron Fabrication Shop utilizes its 3-D printing capabilities.
La Fave then participated in an aerial spray demonstration that finished with a C-130 parked in front of the majority of YARS’s Reserve Citizen Airmen before the all call.
During the all call, La Fave spoke highly of the 910th AW.
“This is a hidden gem,” said La Fave. “Wonderful people, an awesome mission … your airplanes look brand new, your buildings look brand new, you got great leadership … you got it all going on here.”
On the second day of the Unit Training Assembly, the Reserve Citizen Airmen saw Maj. Gen. La Fave first thing as he assisted the 910th Security Forces Squadron in checking ID cards at YARS’s front gate.
La Fave visited the new small arms facility being built, 910th Communications Squadron for a cyber mission defense demo and 910th Medical Squadron for medical briefs before going to the Community Activity Center where he helped the 910th Force Support Squadron serve 910th AW Reserve Citizen Airmen lunch.
La Fave ended his visit with the 910th AW leadership in the command section of the 910th AW headquarters building.
Col. Dan Sarachene is the commander of the 910th Airlift Wing.
"We're very proud of the people, mission and installation we have at YARS, and it's always an honor to show it off to those in our chain of command," said Sarachene. "Maj. Gen. La Fave visiting the 910th boosts our Airmen's morale and helps us feel even more connected to the total force."