General Lorenz remarks highlight 30th Annual Boom Symposium

  • Published
  • By Kevin Chandler
  • 97th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
ALTUS AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  Boom operators from across the world met at Altus for the 30th Annual Boom Symposium April 24-26. The event included a golf tournament, displays by companies such as Boeing and Lockheed Martin, a banquet dinner and a ceremony at the boom operator memorial. General Stephen Lorenz, Air Education and Training Command commander, addressed the audience at Saturday's banquet, one of the many highlights of the weekend.

According to Master Sgt. Ernest Burns, Altus Boom Operator Association president, the symposium allows retired boom operators to meet those currently flying and share their experiences. "This is a unique career field," Sergeant Burns explained, "due to the fact there are only two pilots and one boom operator in a crew, you become like a close knit family."

Attendees not only reminisced about the past, they also made the most of an opportunity to impact the future. Larry Strube, a Boeing representative from the Tanker Program Office in St. Louis, Mo., set up a trailer with a makeshift simulator inside to show the latest advances in air refueling technology. Mr. Strube said these new tools are part of the Boeing offering for the tanker competition set to begin this summer.

"Letting the pilots and boom operators sit and use this helps us make sure we get things right and allows us to provide some education on the new changes at the same time," Mr. Strube explained. Mr. Strube felt the symposium provided a well-suited avenue for such feedback.

The symposium is also about celebrating the history and evolution of the career field. In his address to the audience at the Saturday banquet, General Lorenz focused on that heritage. The general applauded the contributions of the retired boom operators in attendance, many with over 10,000 hours of accumulated flying hours. "Today's instructors," he noted, "stand on the shoulders of giants."

General Lorenz, a former tanker pilot, traced the history of boom operators through the reorganization of Strategic Air Command in the early 1990s to the eventual transfer of the training school to Altus AFB. The traditions and revered heritage were handed to Altus the general explained. He went on to tell the crowd current students are "keepers of your flame."

While the mission for boom operators has changed over the years, the general said the professionalism and skill boom operators historically displayed is still a characteristic of today's Airmen. As he related a story about a visit to boom operators flying missions overseas, General Lorenz said the quality training provided at Altus gave those crews the ability to make their jobs "look easy."

To show their appreciation for the general's speech, the Altus Boom Operators Association gave a sizeable donation to the Air University Foundation in the general's name. The organization also made their annual community contribution. This year, the Westview Boys' Home received the $1000 donation.

The banquet concluded with the presentation of the Senior Master Sgt. Albert L. Evans Award for the best air refueling unit in the Air Force. This year's winner was the 6th Air Refueling Squadron, Travis Air Force Base, Calif.

Airman First Class Brett Browne, a boom operator assigned to the 6th ARS, said it was "an honor for me" to be here to help accept this award. "I've wanted to do this since I was seven years old," he continued, "this just makes me proud all over again."

Airman Browne was recognized earlier in the evening for having the least amount of flying hours for boom operators in attendance. He did note, however, that while he only has around 690 hours almost a third of those were accumulated in combat areas.

The weekend's events ended with a Sunday morning ceremony at the base boom memorial honoring those killed in the line of duty. General Lorenz laid a wreath, again commemorating the distinguished history of the Air Force boom operator.