Little Rock AFB, Ark. -- The 913th Airlift Group hosted a Spouse Orientation flight aboard a C-130H Hercules aircraft during the Unit Assembly Training (UTA) weekend at Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark., Dec. 5, 2015.
“The purpose of the spouse flight is to familiarize military spouses with the unit's aircraft and mission and to enhance their understanding of the military member‘s role and contribution to the Air Force mission,” said Lt. Col. Keith Jasmin, chief of current operations, 913th Operations Support Squadron. “If spouses appreciate the importance of what the military member does, then they may be more willing to support a decision to reenlist or stay until retirement.”
For the 26 spouses and four members of the Development & Training Flight (D&TF), who also joined the flight, the morning started with a safety briefing and flight expectations. After preflight checklists were completed, the spouses and D&TF personnel walked aboard the C-130.
The first thing one passenger noticed was the strange seats, but she buckled in anyway not wanting to “miss this once in a lifetime experience.”
There is a big difference between seating in a C-130 and a civilian aircraft. The C-130 seats are durable nylon fabric on a lightweight aluminum alloy frame designed specifically for combat troops, and face perpendicular to the nose of the aircraft. Comfort was not on the list of requirements for the C-130s during the design, planning or construction of the aircraft. But, one could argue it’s no longer a requirement during the design, planning or construction of most commercial aircraft either.
“There was a lot of laughter, screaming and raised arms during the takeoff, just like on a roller coaster,” said one spouse. That’s because during a commercial take-off a passenger can sit back and enjoy themselves. In a C-130, the passenger slams into the person sitting next to them and says excuse me.
The orientation flight lasted an hour and a half and took the passengers approximately 43 miles from Little Rock AFB, to Greers Ferry Lake, near Heber Springs, Ark., and back.
Each passenger had an opportunity to spend a few moments on the flight deck watching the Arkansas country side pass by below them, while others walked around the cargo compartment and peered out the windows, asked questions of the crew, or got to know the other spouses on the aircraft.
It was busy onboard the flight, yet somewhere along the way they managed to pick up Santa Claus. Once the plane landed, Santa met with a group of 913th AG children who had been eagerly awaiting his arrival.
“Spouse flights are also useful for bolstering recruiting,” said Jasmine. “Spouses have always been great recruiters. They talk to their friends and their children's friends about opportunities after graduation. It’s what families do. But overall, the goal of the flight was to infuse spouses with unit pride. I think we accomplished that.”