Mayor dreams come true

PATRICK AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Mayors and civic leaders from six local towns gathered here Jan. 4 for a tour of the 920th Rescue Wing, which included a flight aboard an HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter and a tour of an HC-130P/N Hercules aircraft. The 920th provides combat rescue support during wartime, but also has a full-time mission back home, providing launch support for all shuttle and rocket launches from Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, as well as civilian search-and-rescue support and humanitarian relief. Pictured from left to right are: Capt. Cathleen Snow, 920th public affairs chief; Capt. John Withelder, an HC-130 pilot; Cocoa mayor Michael Blake, Ronald Krueger, chief of police for Melbourne Beach; Ric Holt, city manager for Cocoa who was also a pararescueman in Vietnam; Cocoa Beach mayor Skip Beeler; Cape Canaveral mayor Rocky Randels; Melbourne Beach mayor William Stacey; Kathy Meehan, vice mayor of Melbourne; James Nolan, mayor of Indian Harbour Beach; and Capt. Rafael Benet, who also pilots Hercules aircraft for the wing. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Paul Flipse)