SAN ANGELO, TX – Local leaders participating in Goodfellow Air Force Base’s Honorary Commander Program got a firsthand look at the base’s training operations during an immersive tour on Thursday, February 6.
The event aimed to strengthen relationships between the military and the San Angelo community while showcasing the base’s role in training military personnel in fire protection, intelligence, and reconnaissance operations.
Technical Sergeant Gabriel Perez, Commander Executive of the 17th Training Group, played a role in coordinating the event. He spoke over the program’s mission to increase community awareness and highlight the base’s importance beyond its well-known firefighter training program.
“The mission of the visit today is to get them to, one, understand what we do, but two, grasp how important they are to us and how important we are to them,” Perez said. “We’re all Americans, and we want to be transparent about what we do here in their local area.”
The honorary commanders toured multiple training sites, including the Norma Brown Building, a simulation facility used to train future fire officers, and a seismic activity station where participants learned how military personnel monitor earthquakes, bomb detonations, and nuclear explosions.
Andi Markee, CEO and Media Director of Media Advantage, was particularly struck by the base’s intelligence training.
“The biggest takeaway for me was learning that our base trains on nuclear treaty monitoring and nuclear activity,” Markee said. “I had no idea Goodfellow was involved in that.”
One of the highlights of the day was a live aircraft fire training exercise, where participants observed a simulated emergency response as firefighters tackled flames on a C-130 aircraft. Some honorary commanders even had the opportunity to assist in extinguishing the fire. Video of this can be found below.
Cooper Hogg, Western Region representative for Public Affairs at the Lower Colorado River Authority, said he was impressed by Goodfellow’s widespread impact.
“Every firefighter in all branches across the military comes through Goodfellow for training,” Hogg said. “It really shows how Goodfellow affects the entire military community across the world. It's really an honor for all of us to come out here and learn about all that is done here at Goodfellow Air Force Base and how important it is for our military and our community."
Perez, who has overseen the honorary commander program for the past six months, said the event also serves to build connections between Goodfellow personnel and civic leaders.
“My favorite part is getting to meet the honorary commanders because they’re all different civic leaders from San Angelo,” Perez said. “It’s great to put a face to the name and build that camaraderie between the base and the community.”
The honorary commanders will continue to participate in immersive events throughout the year.
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