A/TA's quarterly meeting visits base

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. Geneva Croxton
  • 60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  The Airlift/Tanker Association national board of officers conducted its quarterly meeting Feb. 18 and 19 at Travis Air Force Base, California, to discuss the upcoming year.

During the visit, board members and advisers met with Travis military leaders, engaged with base Airmen, and interacted with local civic leaders and industry supporters of the Air Mobility mission.

Members of the association's Golden Bear chapter arranged for and hosted the visit, with chapter president Senior Master Sgt. Erick Fierro of the 22nd Military Airlift Squadron leading the way.

The Airlift/Tanker Association is a nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring that American military forces continue to have the air mobility capability required to implement U.S. national security strategy.

International in scope, the association has chapters and members throughout the world. Association membership includes active duty, Reserve and retired military personnel, both officer and enlisted, as well as civilian and industrial supporters of the air mobility mission. Membership is open to all.

A/TA is dedicated to making sure that Airmen and their civilian partners are equipped with the tools they need to support the mission of the Air Force. The A/TA supports Airmen's needs by facilitating discussions and interaction between senior and junior Airmen, as well as civil leaders and retirees.

The network created by the A/TA is helpful in many ways to mobility Airmen.

"I've grown to love this organization for the camaraderie, esprit de corps and the family that I have with it," said retired Chief Master Sgt. Mike Kerver, A/TA president. "We are here primarily to promote and develop mobility Airmen and we support them through programs and education and taking trips to bases to see what we can do to keep the operation moving forward. Support, camaraderie and the ability for us to provide a platform for networking are what it's all about."

Kerver's continuing goal as president is to "create a place where everybody from the Mobility family can come together so that technology, equipment, relationships and people can develop and grow."

The most important thing for A/TA is taking care of mobility Airmen. It provides scholarships and grants for enlisted Airmen and officer development programs, as well as a forum for the exchange of ideas by bringing industry and mobility Airmen together.

"The interactions that happen when such a diverse group of Airmen come together are invaluable," Kerver said. "Providing this platform is how we can best help."

The A/TA has a broad and diverse membership, with more than one-third of its members being company-grade officers, NCOs and Airmen.

A/TA provides a framework to discuss problems and address previous experiences that allow current leadership at all levels to reflect on the past while thinking about the most beneficial way to move forward in the future.

"We are dedicated to supporting our mobility Airmen, preserving our mobility culture and strengthening our bonds" said retired Lt. Gen. Vern "Rusty" Findley, A/TA senior vice president. "By creating this community, we bring together civic leaders, retirees and Airmen to celebrate what we do in this business, which is incredibly important for the nation.

"In addition to the camaraderie and our heritage and recognition for what we have done in this business - which we should be very proud of - you also get professional development at all levels, from the annual convention and symposium to the local chapter level."

This year's annual event is scheduled to take place from Oct. 26 to 30 in Nashville, Tennessee.

Findley stressed the importance of the A/TA symposium for first-term Airmen.

"There is no other place than the A/TA symposium where a young two-striper can be walking around, bump into a general officer and ask him a question whereby, in large, the general officer is going to give them a good answer," Findley said. "This kind of interaction is what we strive for in this organization."

ATA brings people of diverse AFSC's together so that they gain an understanding for what their peers are doing and understand what challenges they face.

Being part of the A/TA isn't reserved for just active duty members, Kerver said.

"While most of our A/TA board is comprised of retired members, over half of the association is active duty," he said. "The A/TA also has an active civil leader community, as well as strong support from the reserve force component."

To date, the A/TA has awarded more than 600 educational grants and is dedicated to helping every ATA member who is looking to further their education.

For more information, visit the Association's website at www.atalink.org.