Chief of Staff recognizes Chief of Air Force Week, hometown heroes

  • Published
  • By Capt. Cathleen Snow
  • 920th Rescue Wing Public Affairs
COCOA BEACH, Fla. --  The Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Gen. Norton A. Schwartz, recognized Air Force Reservist, Lt. Col. John Brodeur, director of Cocoa Beach Air Force Week 2010, among many, during a capstone senior leader dinner at the historic Cocoa Beach Pier, Oct. 30, 2010.

With well over 35,000 Airmen currently deployed across the globe in support of contingency operations, the theme of this Air Force Week is Honoring Hometown Heroes which attracted top Air Force leadership to show their support and honor the accomplishments and sacrifices of all American Airmen.

Lt. Colonel Brodeur is an HC-130P/N King combat-search-and-rescue pilot with the 920th Rescue Wing at Patrick Air Force Base, Fla. and worked seamlessly with the active duty host-wing of Patrick Air Force Base, Fla. here, the 45th Space Wing, as well as his own wing, and both the City of Orlando and Cocoa Beach, which were the staging spots for Air Force Week , a culmination of recruiting magnificence that happens only twice a year at select locations. The first was in New York City earlier this year.

With the support of both wing commanders, who were both present at the event, he and a team of active duty and reservists successfully pulled of the culmination of recruiting magnificence that led to Air Force day at Disney, Sea World, Kennedy Space Center and the Orlando Magic at Amway Arena and ended with a two-day air show here.

The Air Force pulled out all of the stops with high-speed fly bys over Orlando theme parks, aircraft static displays, media flights, free concerts, barbecues, aerial demonstrations, school and hospital visits. The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds Demonstration Team, the F-15 Strike Eagle and the 920th Rescue Wing, were among the displays of air power over the sea.

The 45th SW and the Air Force Reserve's 920th RQW were among the only local units to perform in the Air Force Week. The other 16 aerial acts flew in from all over the country. For example, the Thunderbirds are based at Nellis Air Force Base, Las Vegas, Nevada and have performed at hundreds of national and international air shows annually.

After working hard on the successful coordination of so many Air Force assets at so many large-scale events, Airmen from both Wings are now gearing up to support the successful launch of NASA Space Shuttle Discovery next week, which will be its final launch. And both wings have large roles in supporting NASA during space shuttle launches.

To learn more about these iconic events, which made waves and raised the mercury throughout Central Florida, beyond magic-kingdom imagination, go to www.airforceweek.af.mil or www.facebook.com/airforceweek.

For more information on the 920th RQW and the Cocoa Beach Air Show, contact the 920th Rescue Wing Public Affairs Office at (321) 494-0535/6 or log onto: Facebook/920th Rescue Wing (Government Organization).