LANCASTER, Calif. --
The Edwards Air Force Base Civilian-Military Support Group held its Annual Installation of Officers and Directors ceremony at a dinner banquet at the University of Antelope Valley in Lancaster, California, Nov. 2.
The Edwards AFB Civ-Mil Support Group aims to establish a friendly and benevolent association of civic and military leaders to act as a host group and partners together in service projects that benefit personnel at Edwards.
“Our civ-mil organization supporting this military community and this Antelope Valley community probably has the most phenomenal relationship of any military installation anywhere, it’s an amazing relationship,” said Dr. David Smith, Edwards AFB Installation Support Director.
Allen Hoffman, who was reinstated as president of the Edwards AFB Civ-Mil Support Group, took time to stress the importance of the event as a way to thank the outgoing directors for their hard work. Hoffman also talked about the accomplishments of the group for the year including a fund-raising golf tournament in September, 2018.
“Our organization is relatively small, but mighty, group of selfless individuals from across the greater Antelope, or Aerospace, Valley that has provided hundreds of thousands of dollars supporting the Airmen, other servicemembers and their families,” Hoffman said. “Everybody is a volunteer, everybody has another job, but they always make time for the organization, they always make time for the servicemembers and their families out at Edwards Air Force Base. They really consider it important-I consider it important, and I believe the Air Force considers it important.”
The Edwards AFB Civ-Mil Support Group was established in 1989 and was spearheaded by Aida O’Connor. O’Connor, along with other civic leaders, was invited to visit Patrick Air Force Base in Florida by Maj. Gen. John Schoeppner, the Air Force Flight Test commander at the time. O’Connor was so impressed by the Patrick AFB Civ-Mil group that she was inspired to form a civ-mil group in the Antelope Valley. In late 1989, O’Connor along with a small group of civic leaders officially formalized the group. Almost 30 years later, O’Connor is still active with the group today.
The group’s past projects include providing flags, flag poles, picnic tables and benches for the Flag Park; picnic tables for the Air Force Flight Research Laboratory; the Higher Grounds Internet Café; and providing goodie bags for deployed servicemembers, amongst other ongoing projects.
The annual dinner banquet is an opportunity for the Civ-Mil group to bid farewell to outgoing directors and to swear-in incoming directors for the coming year. Brig. Gen. E. John Teichert, the 412th Test Wing commander, swore-in the incoming directors and officers. He also addressed those in attendance and thanked the support group for their dedication to Team Edwards.
“We do amazing things that impact our nation, but I want you to know as a civ-mil group that now has been supporting us now for the last 29 years, that we couldn’t do any of the things that we do to impact the warfighter,” Teichert said. “We couldn’t do any of the things we do to make an impact on this nation without the equipping, and encouraging, and the emboldening that you all provide day-in and day-out and have done so for the last 29 years. Thank you for pouring your lives and your attention our way so we can get the job done for the warfighter.”