Alabama unit celebrates Air Force Reserve 60th birthday, pays tribute to country music legend Hank Williams

  • Published
  • By Jeff Melvin
  • 908th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
MAXWELL AFB, Ala. --  The Air Force Reserve's turns 60 this month and to celebrate the milestone the 908th Airlift Wing had a party replete with ceremonies, a military band ensemble, children's game, food and a visit by Jett Williams, daughter of country music's first superstar, Hank Williams Sr.

President Harry Truman formally established the AF Reserve on April 14, 1948, about six months after the birth of the Air Force. Like the Air Force, the Air Force Reserve filled its ranks with Airmen who had served in the Army Air Corps during World War II and returned to their communities. Those early Citizen Airmen, like their successors of today, were eager to serve the nation. 

Former longtime 908th member Brig. Gen. Edward Crowell, mobilization assistant to the Air University commander, presided over the anniversary celebration. General Crowell and 908th AW Commander Col. Michael Underkofler noted the Air Force Reserve's transformation over its 60-year history from a strategic, or standby, force standing reading as replacements during wartime mobilization to today's Air Force Reserve role as an operational force, "An Unrivaled Wingman," engaged every day in the Air Force's operations around the globe. 

Colonel Underkofler said that although much has changed much remains the same, today's Citizen Airmen, like those of yesteryear, serve with courage, commitment and confidence and deserve our thanks. 

Following the introductory remarks, two ceremonies took place that aptly illustrate that commitment and courage - two unit members renewed their enlistments and six Airmen who had been awarded the Air Force Combat Action Medal for their actions while deployed received their medals in front of a packed hangar of co-workers, families, friends and guests attending the anniversary celebration. The medal recognizes Air Force members who were engaged in air or ground combat off base in a combat zone.
 
"Humbling," is how one of the combat action medal recipients, Lt. Col. Blaine Bateman, described the presentation. 

Being pinned by General Crowell, a man he greatly admires, and being part of the Air Force Reserve 60th anniversary celebration made for a memorable moment for the colonel and was a source of great pride, he said. 

"What I really like was that some of the people that I worked with in the theater were there," Colonel Bateman said. "Those of us who received the medals had a lot of help from people who put their lives on the line everyday to help accomplish the mission."
A ceremonial cake cutting by the oldest and youngest of the wing capped the official activities and preceded Jett Williams landing aboard one of the wing's aircraft. 

Ms Williams was on hand to participate in a ceremony marking the change of the wing C-130 cargo planes radio call sign to "Hank," in homage to her father. 

Wing aviators had wanted to change its radio call sign, each unique to a unit, to something more distinctive and representative of Alabama. Some of their first choices, like "Bama," were already in use so the unit settled on "Hank," which recognizes not only Hank Williams Sr. but another well-known state native, Mobile's baseball great Henry "Hank" Aaron. 

Ms Williams jumped at the opportunity to accept the wing's invitation to participate in the tribute. She toured the wing, received an orientation flight aboard a C-130 with "Ramblin' Man" emblazoned over the door and made the maiden call, "Montgomery Tower this is Hank Zero One. ..." 

Saying she was thrilled to be there in his stead, Ms Williams thanked the Air Force for honoring her dad. 

"If he were here today, I don't think he would believe it. He would be honored. As his daughter, I am honored to be here and I couldn't be more proud to be an American and to see what the Air Force is doing. What a wonderful plane, and to have it named "Hank O1 - the Ramblin' Man," it don't get any better," she said with a wide grin and a twinkle in her bright blue eyes after deplaning. 

Following a little cake cutting of her own, she had brief exchanges with admirers and autograph seekers among the crowd before taking the stage with the Reserve Generation, Band of the Air Force Reserve's popular music group and "Putting a Hankin on everybody," her colorful description of her performance of some of her father's classics.