Cannon spouses tour base

Published May 17, 2013
By Senior Airman Alexxis Pons Abascal
27th Special Operations Wing Public Affairs

CANNON AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. -- The 27th Special Operations Wing welcomed senior leaders' spouses for a quick tour of Cannon Air Force Base, N.M., May 14.

Nearly two dozen spouses of commanders and chiefs gathered in front of the 27th Special Operations Mission Support Group building before heading over to the 551st Special Operations Squadron to start the tour.

Lt. Col. Kenneth Pedersen, 551st SOS commander, greeted the group before providing a mission brief focused on organization of the squadron and familiarizing the group with Air Force Special Operations Command-specific contributions.

Pedersen spoke about training and developing future Air Commandos and explained how the squadron uses multi-million dollar facilities to enhance that training and qualification of Special Operations Forces aircrew members.

Visiting spouses were also able to gain a more concise understanding of how various non-flying squadrons contribute to the overall mission of the wing--to plan and execute specialized and contingency operations using advanced aircraft, tactics and air refueling techniques. These capabilities are used to infiltrate, exfiltrate and resupply SOF and provide intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, and close air support of SOF troops.

Following the mission brief, the group was afforded a rare opportunity to experience the wing's flight simulators and get a very realistic feel for what pilots go through while flying several of Cannon's airframes.

The day wrapped up with lunch at the Pecos Trail Dining Facility and a "behind-the-scenes" look at food service and facility operations.