Watch: Goodfellow AFB Welcomes Community Partners During Exclusive Tour

SAN ANGELO, TX – On Thursday, January 23, Goodfellow Air Force Base hosted its quarterly Air Force Community Partnership Meeting. For the event, they invited community partners to tour the base and see the impact and success their partnerships have had for the airmen that live and train at Goodfellow.

“We invited our community partners to Goodfellow AFB to give them a deep dive and tour as to the activities and the types of training we conduct,” said Colonel Nazario, 17th Wing Commander.

“Today was a great day for us to open the gates and have more of our partners and really see what happens and enjoy the fruits of their labor,” said Chief Master Sergeant Lavor Kirkpatrick, Command Chief of the 17th Wing.

Part of the tour included visiting a series of buildings on base and learning about the effect that the collaboration between the city and Goodfellow has in the City of San Angelo and the potential for growth that exists. From securing funding for new building to creating new relationships that directly impact the military members and their families, the partnerships are vital for everyone on base.

“For the airmen to come here and be embraced by the community while they are learning intelligence or fire or any other training the partnerships is really what makes this place feel like home,” said Chief Master Sergeant Kirkpatrick. “Everything matters in trying to make this place feel like home so we can build the warriors that our nation needs for the future.”

The partnership between San Angelo and Goodfellow goes back decades. Before the attack at Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt had begun a program of preparedness that included the construction of facilities that could serve as a place for air training. Texas was set to house several of these bases, so civic leaders in San Angelo reached out to the War Department to recommend their city as a contender. After providing a multitude of perks and benefits that showcased why San Angelo was the best fit, the construction of Goodfellow began.

“We believe that Goodfellow would not exists without the city of San Angelo and history tells us that,” said Chief Master Sergeant Kirkpatrick. “The War Department was approached about establishing a base in West Texas and that base is Goodfellow AFB. And it’s because of this that the people of this city said they wanted to find a way to give back and that spirit of giving back and connecting with our military has not ended.”

A few of the partnerships highlighted in the tour included the Resiliency building where self-defense classes are offered, and services are provided for resiliency and mental health. The partners had the opportunity to preview a RAD or Rape Aggression Defense class. The airmen received a special visit from Olly, a very charismatic little dog that visits them a couple of times a month at the Resiliency building and is trained as an emotional support animal.

While visiting the newly inaugurated Cressman Dining Facility, community partners had the opportunity to experience the Airman Success Model, which allows the airmen training at Goodfellow to grow their critical thinking skills and self-awareness. 

After the team-building exercises, the partners visited the Joint Fire Protection Training facility where they had the opportunity to see the Emergency Training Manikins and the Mobile Fire Pump. The manikins are an integral part of firefighter training at Goodfellow as It allows trainees to practice on manikins that are responsive and can simulate a live victim in need of emergency care. Goodfellow AFB is the nation’s leading fire academy in graduating and training future firefighters.

In every stop along the tour, base leadership and personnel expressed their thanks and appreciation of having the support of the community. Working together has allowed a multitude of agreements and partnerships to develop and be beneficial to everyone in the city of San Angelo. 

“Without San Angelo, there is no Goodfellow, without Goodfellow, there is no San Angelo,” said Colonel Nazario.

Check out a highlight reel of the day’s activities on the video below: