LAUGHLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- Several hundred Laughlin spouses had the time of their life thanks to the hard work of some Laughlin members and the support of community partners.
“I was amazed,” said Senior Master Sgt. Wakisha Humphries, Wing Day in Honor of Spouses project officer. “Everyone at Laughlin stepped up and did whatever they could to make this day successful. When our local community partners heard about it, we couldn’t have had more amazing support.”
The celebration kicked off with a ceremony at the wing’s Heritage Park, located across from wing headquarters that saluted spouses for their amazing support. Before they entered the park, spouses had the chance to grab a free breakfast taco and organizers had contracted a local gourmet coffee truck to provide coffee for all spouses.
During the kick-off event, William McEvoy, 47th Flying Training Wing historian said he’d combed through 50 years of Laughlin history. “I’ve never seen an event that compares to what the wing has done today,” he said.
Once spouses stepped out of the event, they had a whirlwind of excitement and activities ahead of them. Some spouses received rides down the Laughlin flightline in T-6 Texans and T-38 Talons while others received a ride around Lake Amistad in the T-1A Jayhawk.
More than 200 received rides in the Virtual Flight Simulators, some visited tours in Aerospace Physiology, the 47th Security Forces Squadron had a military working dog and firearms demo, the Losano Fitness Center staff offered free massages and yoga classes, there were fire house tours, a tour of the 47th Operations Support Squadron’s catwalk on the top of the air traffic control tower, a local business fair, painting classes, and music to close the night and the hit of the day may have been the free lunch provided by the local Military Affairs Association that featured roast beef, turkey and shrimp, and a wine tasting.
“It was all a great hit,” said Humphries. “This was everyone working together to make sure the XL Spouses were honored in the right way.”