Goodfellow AFB, San Angelo Chamber of Commerce Honor Each Other at Luncheon

Tuesday afternoon, the Bentwood Country Club resounded with thunderous applause, about 200 sponsors, Goodfellow AFB men and women, and Chamber of Commerce members stood to honor the actions and numerous charitable acts achieved by Tech Sgt. Curtrell Gibson. Sgt. Gibson was honored at a luncheon held by the San Angelo Chamber of Commerce to commemorate the 75th anniversary of Goodfellow Air Force Base.

“I was surprised to receive this award and it is a bit chilling to hear some of the things I’ve done read back to me,”  Gibson said about receiving a Merit award at the opening to yesterday's luncheon celebration. She has been involved in 20 different programs and has helped her fellow Air Force airmen in every way possible.

Her charitable acts include working with Meals for the Elderly, The Shoebox, and the Samaritan’s Purse, to name a few. 

“To deserve this award, it’s something I like to do," Gibson said. "I like volunteering and I love to put people first.”

As for Goodfellow AFB's history San Angelo, 17th Training Wing Commander Colonel Michael L. Downs said, “This is the 75^th anniversary of Goodfellow and that is a remarkable number of years that this town and this base have been working together.”

Col. Downs also honored the late President of the Chamber of Commerce, Phil Neighbors. “No one gave more to our airmen and our base than Phil Neighbors,” he said. Downs then showed a slideshow that displayed Neighbors'  commitment to the base. Images of Neighbors with airmen and chamber members filled the screen. Col. Downs recognized Neighbor's wife and presented her with an American flag for their fallen friend. Everyone stood, applauded and showed Susan Neighbors respect and honor as she received the flag from  Downs.

After giving a loving and heartfelt speech regarding the loss of Phil Neighbors, Downs recognized a few outstanding airmen and also a wife of an airmen for the  things they do every day to help the people around them. Staff Sgt. Bugerenko, First Sgt (and Master Sgt.) Peel, Honor Guard and Staff Sgt. Sater, and Mrs. Tracy Berry, received accolades for serving their community and fellow airmen. These were just a few of the remarkable airmen at the base deemed outstanding by their commander.

The second Speaker was Tech Sgt. Douglas Earl, and he gave insight into the planned expansions and changes on the base in the coming years. He gave the brief history of the base and how it has expanded since opening in 1941. He also provided some information about what Goodfellow AFB officials do at the base and why it is important to train and teach airmen to carry out the U.S. Air Force missions once they graduate from training courses at the base. He said the base helps train fire rescue crews, Marines, Army, and other branches of the military.

“It not just about the men and women in uniform. Its about the people in this room; its about this community. We are more involved in our community at Goodfellow than at any other place in the world,” said Earl. “We have the joint resources to tackle problems together, to save money and time.”  

Laura Lewis, membership assistant event coordinator for the Chamber of Commerce said, “This luncheon is a great combination of Goodfellow AFB and the community of San Angelo.” The Chamber of Commerce members hold these meetings so they can maintain the relationships of this community.

“It gave personal perspective of the military lives that serve our country and community, said Vice President of Chamber Operations Sandra Pomroy. She added that there was a personal touch as well regarding Phil Neighbors.

“It was personal to us because they honored our late president, Phil Neighbors," she said. "He had a great relationship with the base and they honored his life today.”